Choose to Love
by Erik'sangel527
Summary: When obtaining lead roles in a summer production of a play called The Abductor, Erik and Christine get to know one another. He develops deep feelings for her, but love is something she fears. However, some feelings cannot be controlled... Modern day, E/C... ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:**

Erik Destler and Christine Daae have a lot in common. They both love to perform, they both have quiet, humble personalities, and because of their pasts, they are both sad and lonely most of the time.

When obtaining lead roles in a summer production of a play called, _The Abductor_, Erik and Christine get to know one another both on and off stage. Almost immediately, Erik -who has never known love- develops deep feelings for Christine. He knows for certain that his feelings will never be returned, but he also knows he can't control his heart.

Christine knows better. The last thing on her mind is a relationship. In fact, love is something she fears, due to the horrors of her past. Therefore, she believes that love can be a choice, not an uncontrollable feeling. And she has made her choice... or so she thinks.

Once she learns of Erik's feelings for her, everything changes. Christine may think that love is a choice, but can she really control her heart? Even though there are problems and obstacles in the way, can she help but choose to love?

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Performing served as an escape. It was what both Erik Destler and Christine Daae loved. To perform was to forget pain, difficulties, and hardships, at least for a little while...

ooooooooo

"_I want something," Chanel announced with a demanding tone, walking into the living room._

_Darius folded the newspaper he'd been reading and stood from his arm chair. "You may have whatever you'd like, my dear," he told her patiently. "Anything. Everything." His tone had a majestic quality to it, as if what he was saying could actually come true._

_Chanel shook her head. She knew better. "Stop playing games!" _

_After a moment, her clenched fists relaxed some and she sighed. "Look, you know all I want is freedom." There was silence. "You're not going to give me that, though, are you?"_

_Darius remained perfectly calm while studying the young woman before him. Her defiance was so charming, but its repetition was getting old. "You already know the answer, Chanel. It is too late. I can't let you go."_

_She glared at him, although all she could really see was the black mask that covered the majority of his face. "You're a bastard and you're going to hell," she coldly stated. Then, she crossed her arms, turned on her heel, and left the room._

"Ok, that's enough for now," Marie Giry announced, addressing everyone in the Dover, Delaware Patchwork Playhouse auditorium. The Kent County Theatre Guild cast and crew members who were sitting in the audience blinked coming out of the near trance the actors on stage were able to put them in. Marie stood from her seat on the first row and turned to face them. "I think we've done enough for today. Good work everyone. Stay for a few minutes, though. I need to talk to some of you." Turning towards the stage where the two leads were standing, she asked, "Christine, can I see you for a moment?"

Christine nodded and jumped down from the stage. "Was it ok?" she asked nervously. All that mattered was Marie's opinion, since she was the director of their summer production of _The Abductor_, a play known for its controversial kidnapping plot and implausible ending.

Marie smiled at the look of concern on her face. "It was nearly perfect. One thing, though. You still weren't angry enough when you said that last line. I need you to treat Erik like he's really the bastard character he's playing."

Christine looked over at Erik who was seated nearby studying his lines. "I know," she mumbled looking back at Marie. "It's sometimes difficult, though. Erik's just so nice, you know?"

Truthfully, Marie didn't know. The only person who actually knew Erik Destler was Christine, and even she didn't know him well.

The mysterious man had come in for auditions a month ago wearing a mask, the same mask his character was required to wear throughout the play. And he'd never taken it off, not once. Everyone guessed he was just really into his role, although most were still skeptical, including Marie. It was so strange... Whereas all of the others taking part in the production had known each other before auditions, no one had ever seen or heard of Erik. He'd basically appeared out of nowhere... and he'd blown Marie away. To say the least, he'd nailed his audition. Nobody else had even come close to auditioning for Darius as well as him, so he got the part without question, regardless of the fact that he was unknown to everyone. He apparently didn't care to get to know anyone, either, besides Christine, for he barely spoke a word to anyone other than when he was acting.

That he talked to Christine wasn't too surprising, though, considering their roles in the play and the fact that everyone spoke to her. She was the kind of person people flocked to.

"Well, you're just going to have to try to look past that," Marie said with an encouraging smile. She had no doubt that Christine could do it. The girl had gotten the part for a reason. More than one reason, actually. She was an incredible actress, no doubt, and her audition for Chanel had been most impressive. More importantly was the fact that there was natural chemistry between Christine and Erik. Together, they were entrancing. It was interesting... From what Marie could tell, Erik was aware of it but Christine wasn't. In fact, she wasn't at all aware of her own talent. But it wasn't frustrating, as one would think. If anything, her behavior was appealing. Marie didn't want to deal with someone who was cocky.

"I will," Christine promised, determined. "From now on, I'm going to really be in character."

"That's what I want to hear." Marie nodded, satisfied, and walked away in order to talk to some of the other cast and crew members. It was a Friday evening in June, and opening night was in one week. There was much to do. Luckily, when it came to the two leads, Marie knew she didn't have anything to worry about.

Erik, who had secretly been listening in on their conversation, stood and approached Christine. "So, you are going to act like you really do despise me now?"

She smirked at his choice of words and teasingly replied, "Yeah, I am. Well, up until I fall in love with you, that is." _That _was the controversial part of the play- the fact that Chanel could fall in love with her kidnapper.

His heart skipped a beat, which always happened when she said 'I' and 'you' instead of using the characters' names. "Yes, well, if you ever wish to practice outside of rehearsals, I'd be more than willing to join you." The words left his mouth unintentionally. Erik had a tendency of becoming almost too friendly and forward around Christine. In any other situation, it would have been most unlike him, but he couldn't help it in this situation. He just cared for her so deeply... It'd been growing for a month now. The first time they spoke, he knew she was different. And now, he knew he was incredibly close to feeling what he'd never felt before- love. The problem remained, though- she had no idea of his true feelings. Another problem was that she most certainly didn't feel the same. She never could.

With a sigh, she looked down and said, "Thanks for the offer. That might just have to happen. I obviously can't seem to get it right." Shaking her head, she confessed, "I don't even know why I got the part. Carlotta should have gotten it..."

It wasn't the first time she'd said that. It was more like the fifth time, actually... Erik always found it so surprising that Christine could be so hard on herself. Her modesty was also one of the qualities he adored, though. "Christine," Erik began with a small smile. "How many times must I tell you? You were meant to play the part of Chanel Haslam. _No one _else could possibly portray the role as well as you, least of all the detestable Carlotta. You were chosen because you fit the part." He spoke the last four words slowly hoping she would understand.

She blushed and laughed, trying to lighten the moment. "Thanks, Erik. You always know what to say." Instead of putting herself down some more, she smiled and said, "Well, I'd better get going. Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it." Then, Erik watched her walk away. She had no idea just how much he was looking forward to it.

Christine walked towards the back of the auditorium where her keys and script were located, and sure enough, Roy was waiting for her. Roy was another member of the cast. He was playing the role of Trevor Lane, the main detective in Chanel Haslam's kidnapping case. Christine considered Roy to be a friend, nothing more. Unfortunately, she knew he wanted more. He'd liked her throughout the majority of their four years in high school, and now that they were graduates, he'd asked her out on more than one occasion. It seemed he was realizing time was running out, for he was attending an out-of-state college.

Although Christine had given excuses multiple times to get out of going on dates with him, he still wasn't taking the hint and giving up.

"Hey Christine," Roy greeted cheerfully when she was close enough. "You were great up there."

She smiled at his compliment. He really was a nice guy, just too persistent. "Thanks, Roy. You were, too." They'd only rehearsed the first act of the play that night, so Roy hadn't gotten the chance to be on stage much. He had a larger role in the second act. Nevertheless, he really was a good actor and deserved her compliments.

His expression showed that he appreciated her words, maybe a little too much. "Thanks. I'll be better tomorrow night, though."

"I will be, too. Or, well, I'll try to be." Christine was determined to do better, although part of her was still unsure if she could.

Roy blinked. "What? But, you were amazing!"

She shook her head. "Thanks, but I really wasn't. I'm having trouble hating Erik-.. I mean, Darius." Christine didn't really want to be telling Roy everything. Quite frankly, she just wanted to go home. But, she also didn't want to seem rude by not conversing.

He let out a short laugh. "I don't see why. It's hard _not _to hate Darius Wade for what he does to Chanel."

Christine did agree with that. It was hard not to despise the Darius Wade of the first act. Of course, the Darius Wade of the second act eventually changed into a better person, but none of those things were the problem. "Yeah, I didn't used to have a problem hating him, but now that I've gotten to know Erik, I'm having trouble separating them." She shrugged feeling embarrassed.

Roy became a bit jealous then. "Well, of course you're having trouble separating them. He wears that mask all the time. It's really weird... But, nobody really knows Erik, so I still don't see how it's hard to hate him." Before she could say anything else, he changed topics. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie with me Sunday night after rehearsal? I'm giving you two days' notice," he added, trying to persuade her.

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, but also not wanting to tell him 'yes', she had to stop and think of what to say. _I should probably just tell him the truth, that we're never going to work. _She couldn't force herself to do that either. "Sorry Roy, but I have other plans. I'd better get going, though. I'll see you tomorrow. Sorry again."

"Maybe another time," Roy said hopefully while watching her walk away, but she apparently didn't hear him.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a pair of eyes from the front of the auditorium was watching their every move and hating every minute of it.

* * *

Walking to her car, Christine felt incredibly tired, thanks to both the strenuous rehearsal and Roy. All she really wanted to do was go home and sleep. That was when the nightmares came, though. She was thinking about her past...again. It truly was a nightmare, and she hated it. She hated thinking about it, she hated dreaming about it, and most of all, she hated remembering how she'd felt before it began.

All the love she felt, all the love she saw... It was something she never wanted anything to do with ever again. There was too much to lose when it came to love, and she'd be damned if she was going to risk losing more than she'd already lost. Therefore, it was her life's vow to never get too close or become too attached to anyone.

She wasn't content with life, no, for who could be content with a life like hers? But, at least she was in control and prepared for anything that came her way... Well, _almost _anything.

* * *

**I'm nervous about this... I know some of you might not like the fact that I'm starting a new story, especially since I already have three incomplete stories, two of which I haven't updated in quite some time. But, this came to me and I had to write it down.**

**There's more to come, including background information in case the first chapter was confusing. I'm currently not sure how long this story will be. The Full Summary at the top suggests that there's a lot to cover, though.**

**Anyway, I really hope you liked this first chapter. I'm excited about this story :)**

**Please leave a review!**

**-Lauren **


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I'm so glad you seem to be wanting more :D You all are my inspiration, please know that. Thank you so much! It feels so, so good to be writing again. Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It was nearing 11:00 pm and there was complete silence in Christine's car as she drove home from rehearsal. Her full focus was on the road and her immediate surroundings.

If ever there were a good driver in this world, it was Christine Daae. She drove with both hands on the steering wheel, her mind never entered automatic pilot, she never exceeded the speed limit, she looked in her rear-view and side mirrors numerous times during a trip, she refrained from talking on her cell phone or texting, and she never listened to music. Onlookers would probably be surprised by just how careful and cautious an 18-year-old driver could be. But, then again, they only saw what was occurring on the outside. They didn't know what went through Christine's head every time she entered a vehicle... That was something Christine preferred to keep to herself.

When she finally pulled into her apartment complex and parked in an empty parking space, an all too familiar sigh of relief escaped her lips. _No problems. Good. _Christine made sure she had all of her belongings before getting out of the car, locking the doors, and approaching the front door of her small but cozy-looking apartment.

Silently walking inside and flipping on a light switch, she entered the living room and laid her keys, wallet, cell phone, and script on one of the three pieces of furniture in the room- a coffee table beside the couch. There were several medium-sized unopened boxes sitting on the carpeted floor against one wall of the room. As always, that meant there was still a lot of unpacking to do.

_I'm tired, though, _Christine thought while locking and deadbolting the door. The boxes would just have to wait until she could find some free time to unpack them. Seeing as how free time was hard to come by these days, they would probably be sitting there for a while. _They've been sitting untouched for a couple of months already, so what's a few more? _

She shrugged and headed towards the kitchen where she acknowledged three more unopened boxes and a fourth opened one with half of its contents removed. Christine stepped around them and opened the dishwasher to get a clean glass for herself. After filling it with purified water from the refrigerator, she went back to the living room and got her script before walking down a short hallway to her bedroom. Turning on a lamp on her bedside table, she put the glass of water down on a coaster and laid on her bed so that she could read over her lines, which was something she'd done every night since receiving the part of Chanel.

Christine flipped through the first seven pages of the second act reading every line, since they were going to be rehearsing certain key parts of each act the following night. The first part of the second act revolved mostly around Chanel's family and the investigation, not Darius and Chanel. But, Christine made sure to read every word anyway. For one thing, it was good practice. For another, she found the entire play to be so interesting that it was hard not to read every word.

That's the only real reason she was taking part in _The Abductor_. She found the play's storyline and message interesting. It was nice to act and escape her own reality, sure, but were it not for her interest in the play, she wouldn't have taken time out of her life to do it.

Only a few minutes passed before Christine found her eyes were having trouble staying open. Before long, sleep took over and the script fell from her grasp.

* * *

_Christine, Christine, _Erik thought while driving to his apartment after rehearsal. He just couldn't stop thinking about the girl... Her incredible talent, her modesty, her kindness... And there was also her unique beauty- the porcelain color of her skin, her radiant features, and those chocolate brown curls and absorbing green eyes...

But, just as he always thought of her, he also had a tendency to think of and compare her to himself. _Myself.. My loathsome self._ Erik hated everything about himself, and for what he thought was good reason. Most of all, he hated the way he looked. Christine's appearance was the exact opposite of his own. Whereas she was beautiful, he was not.

Erik knew the entire cast and crew of _The Abductor _questioned why he always wore a mask. What they didn't know was that he was doing them all a favor by wearing it. Were they to see him without the mask, each of them would surely faint. Or worse, they would show their revulsion both through their actions and reactions.

They would have every right, of course. Behind the mask, his face bore a horrible deformity, though 'horrible' wasn't a strong enough word for it. Really, there weren't enough adjectives to describe how grotesque it was.

And, because of his face, it was a wonder he'd auditioned for the part of Darius at all, much less gotten the role. To voluntarily put himself on display was highly unusual considering his life outside of acting, which was made unfortunate by his appearance. However, Erik knew why he'd auditioned. The play was captivating, and so was the main character, Darius Wade. Wearing a mask was only one similarity between Darius and Erik. They were also both reclusive and obsessive by nature, and the biggest similarity of all was the fact that they both had strong feelings for the same person.

_Christine.. _Never had Erik imagined that he and his co-star would get along.

It was much more than that, though.

He would never forget the first time they'd acted together... He and Christine had both been one step away from receiving the leading roles. The final step was to see how believable they were when acting together. The scene they were tested with was from the second act of the play, and it was perhaps the most difficult scene of the entire play. It was the ending when Chanel met Darius in the forest, the part where she told him what he'd been wanting to hear all along- that she was in love with him.

Erik had assumed it would be an awkward disaster and that neither of them would get the roles, but he was wrong. Their performance had been magical. He remembered it as if it were yesterday...

_Chanel stood alone in the woods surrounded by nothing but trees, plants, and dirt. She looked around nervously, her heart beating quickly. She was waiting. And then, just as she was beginning to wonder, it happened. Her full attention focused on what was happening to the right, and she sucked in a breath when she saw Darius get out of his car wearing the usual mask and black suit. But, he was different. She was seeing him through new eyes, eyes that had transformed just as much as he had during the one month they'd spent together. Her body turned towards him as he walked slowly towards her. _

_In his wildest dreams, Darius hadn't expected this. For Chanel to initiate a meeting between them seemed utterly ludicrous. She'd already made it so that he would never have to pay for his crime. That should have been the end. But, it wasn't. He stopped a good distance away from her, obviously trying to reassure her that she was safe. _

"_You came," Chanel said. Her voice was calmer than she was, it seemed._

_After an unsure pause, Darius spoke one word. "Yes."_

_Chanel wondered what he could possibly be thinking. He was most likely confused more than anything else. Who wouldn't be? After everything that had transpired between them, this meeting was probably the one thing he'd never seen coming. _

_Darius continued to stare at her, feeling as if he were in a dream. To be seeing her and hearing her voice again was something he never thought possible._

"_Part of me wondered if you would get my note," Chanel began. "I want to thank you for staying where I told you to."_

_She was _thanking _him? Perhaps he really was dreaming..._

_Chanel then became reflective. "A lot of bad things happened in that house. I know you'd prefer not to be staying there. But, good things happened, too. Right?"_

_Darius couldn't imagine what 'good' she was referring to. There was nothing 'good'. That was where she'd spent the entirety of her kidnapping, for god's sake! Perhaps _he _wasn't dreaming. Perhaps _she _was. Perhaps he had done even more damage than he thought by kidnapping her._

_She nodded. "Good things did happen. You changed. I changed."_

_Her words confirmed it. He really had done extensive damage.._

_His refraining to speak wasn't too surprising, so she continued, "You might be wondering how I changed. Well, you opened my eyes. You made me see things I'd never seen before, and it wasn't all bad. I didn't realize it until you let me go... But, what I realize now is that I don't want to live without you." Then, she added, "I can't."_

_Darius' head tilted to one side. He wondered exactly what kind of game she was playing at. Were there authorities hiding and waiting for their cue to arrest him? He wasn't afraid. In fact, he'd been prepared for his punishment ever since he let her go two weeks before. "If this is a game, you can stop pretending now. Whoever you brought with you can come out of hiding. As I have told you before, I deserve to pay for my crimes."_

_Chanel shook her head. She'd been expecting to hear something like that. "This isn't a game, Darius. We've played enough games. I asked you to come here because I want to tell you the truth."_

_He wasn't convinced. He was sure that Chanel was merely trying to lessen whatever sort of pain was soon to come. Slowly, he told her, "I'm ready, Chanel. What I did to you is unforgivable. You do not have to try to make this easier for me."_

_She sighed, finally having heard enough, and walked forward until she was directly in front of him. "I'm in love with you, Darius." _

Marie had stopped them after that with a wide grin on her face. Erik hadn't heard whatever she said about their performance, though. He'd been too busy staring at Christine with wide eyes. To say there was real chemistry between them was an understatement, in Erik's opinion. His life was forever changed.

And now, as he approached the front door of his lonely apartment, thinking of Christine was having the power to keep his mind off other things... But, not even _she_ could keep the bad thoughts away for long.

* * *

Indeed, Christine did have a nightmare that night. She woke up with a start at about 5:00 am panting, shaking, and sweating while the dream replayed through her mind again and again...

"_It's a good day to go to the park," Donna Daae suggested one warm, sunny Saturday in June. "What do you think?" she asked, addressing her daughter and husband._

_16-year-old Christine rolled her eyes in a joking sort of way. "Mom, don't you think we're all a little too old to be going to parks? What are we going to do, play on the playground?" Her tone was sarcastic._

_Charles Daae laughed. "You're only as old as you feel, Christine. I think it's a great idea, Don." He smiled tenderly at his wife, and she smiled back. _

_Christine rolled her eyes again as they continued to smile at one another. Their affection towards each other was a little embarrassing. "Fine, I guess. As long as you two hold off on the romance thing."_

_They both chuckled. "What do you mean, honey?" Donna asked._

_Gesturing towards their faces, Christine explained, "You know, the whole 'smiling and staring at each other for much longer than necessary' thing."_

_Charles was amused by Christine's explanation. "It's our anniversary, Christine. Aren't we allowed to act like we love each other?" _

"_Is it really just an 'act', Charles?" Donna questioned, although she knew he was only kidding. Charles laughed at that before smiling at her again._

_Christine finally laughed, too, knowing there was no way to get them to stop. "Maybe just the two of you should go. I might get in the way. You guys could make it like a date or something." _

_They immediately shook their heads. "There's no need for that, honey. We're already going to be leaving you alone tonight when we go out for dinner," Donna reminded. "Right now, we want to spend time with our only child."_

_An appreciative smile came to Christine's face. She was well aware of how important she was to them. She only hoped they were aware of how important they were to her. "Ok, if you're sure..."_

"_We're sure," Charles affirmed._

_A brilliant idea came to Christine then. "Hey, can I drive?" she asked excitedly. Her sixteenth birthday had only taken place a couple of months before, so having a driver's license was still a new thing for her. That being said, she tried to take advantage of it as much as possible. _

_Her father nodded. "Why not? It will be good practice for you."_

_Christine felt she didn't really need anymore practice, as she believed she was a very good driver already, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Practice makes perfect," she agreed._

_They proceeded to get in one of their two cars, and Christine began driving as cautiously as possible towards the park. Complete stops at every Stop sign, turn signals at every turn. She felt like a pro, and her parents' numerous compliments verified her feelings._

_Eventually, they made it to the final traffic light and came to a stop. They'd already gone through five of them, and this was the last one. The park could be seen to their left, and Christine had her left turn signal on waiting for a green light. They were in the front of the turn lane line with a couple of cars behind them._

_There weren't cars waiting in any of the other lanes, which was unusual, but as the light continued to stay red, some cars appeared in the distance approaching the light. _

_Suddenly, a song Christine loved started playing on the radio. She removed her right hand from the steering wheel in order to turn the volume up. The left turn lane light turned green right as her hand left the wheel, so she took her foot off the brake and began turning with one hand. _

_Her eyes left the road for a single second in order to locate the volume knob, and it was in that single second that hell began. Their car was in the middle of turning when it happened. A truck located in one of the two approaching lanes didn't acknowledge the fact that his light was still red and instead sped through it... directly into the Daae's car. Christine, Donna, and Charles were completely unprepared for it._

_The truck hit the right side of their car with Donna in the passenger's seat and Charles behind her in the backseat. The result was horrific. The harsh impact was enough to flip their small vehicle, but not before crushing the entire right side in, instantly killing both Donna and Charles._

_Christine had covered her head reflexively and screamed as soon as the truck hit them. When everything finally calmed down, all was silent at first. She knew the wreck was bad and that she was injured, but she was alive. She assumed her parents were ok, too... _

_In a sort of daze, Christine shakily began asking, "A-are you guys ok-" Her voice stopped working as soon as she uncovered her head and looked to the right where most of the damage was. Everything clicked in her brain at once, and the last thing she saw before falling into unconsciousness was blood covering everything, and worst of all, what was left of her parents' dead bodies. _

Christine was sobbing violently as she thought about it and remembered what she'd seen that day. She remembered what she'd felt, too, and that made her current feelings even harder to bear. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

Everything had been perfect before that day. She'd loved her parents so much...And they'd loved her. And for them to have died on their 22nd wedding anniversary... It had been so sad.

After the wreck, everything was different. Christine's initial response back then had been to sell her parents' belongings, the house, their clothes, their valuables, everything... She'd thought the situation would be more bearable were she not to be reminded of them, but she was wrong. Not having any reminders only put Christine in a deep depression. She was sent to a foster home in Dover and was still able to attend the same school, but it didn't make anything easier. Though the foster family was nice, all Christine wanted was to get away from them and live by herself. And though people at school were friendly, she just wanted to graduate.

All of her parents' money was put into an account made available to her the day she turned eighteen, and the plan Christine thought of was to use the money on the day of her eighteenth birthday to rent an apartment so that she could move away.

In the meantime, the two years she spent with her foster family and at school had been a time of adjustment. Really, though, all Christine did was try to escape reality. She found her calling through acting and singing at school and with the Kent County Theatre Guild. When she was performing, there wasn't any pain. When there wasn't any pain, she felt and looked almost _normal. _Of course, the pain always came back, but never in front of others. In front of others, Christine stayed polite but distant.

She was able to get by, thanks to her plans, acting, and singing. When the time came, she'd gotten an apartment in Dover and had graduated from high school.

Now, Christine had new plans. She was working at a local book store in order to raise money. Her parents' money would help, too. The plan was to attend a university in the south. She didn't know exactly where, and she didn't know exactly what she wanted to major in, but the plan was set. All she needed was money.

To say the least, she was busy. Being in _The Abductor_ and constantly working at the book store was strenuous. But, both of those things served as distractions, and _that _was what was important.

Today, however, there was a setback. Today was the two-year anniversary of the death of her parents. Christine had a plan, though, as always. She would visit their graves, which would be hard, but then she would go to work and rehearsal in order to escape it. _I'll get by. I always do._

Deciding she didn't even want to try to go back to sleep, Christine got up and began getting dressed for the day. She already knew it was going to be long and tiring.

* * *

**More is on the way. Chapter 3 will include Christine's day plan laid out, it will include more Erik, and it will most definitely include E/C interaction.**

**I really hope you are enjoying this. Please review! I'd like to know what you think :)**

**-Lauren**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The sun was just beginning to rise as Christine approached the gravestone slowly and carefully, afraid to make noisy footsteps in such a quiet place. _Not that it would make any difference, _she thought sadly. _The dead can't hear. _She shuddered at her unintended thought. Oh, how she sometimes wished her mind would stop working, if only for a little while.

Forcing back tears, Christine clutched two bouquets of flowers in both her hands as if they were life lines. She needed to stay strong, for _them_.

Once near enough, she stopped walking and stared down at her parents' shared gravestone. Christine stood frozen with wide eyes, and as she stood, images of two years before replayed through her mind. Of course, the only images were of the car wreck. ...Adjusting the radio volume with one hand and turning the steering wheel with the other, the truck unexpectedly crashing into them, their vehicle being crushed in and thrown back, and the blood...so much blood...

The vividness of the memory was too much. She couldn't force back her tears any longer. They flooded her eyes, traveled down her pale cheeks, and dripped onto the bouquets.

_I'm sorry, _Christine inwardly whispered, her heart thudding in her chest. _I'm so, so sorry! If only I'd been more observant- If I just hadn't been focusing on the volume, it wouldn't have happened! I could have stopped it from happening! It was all.. my.. fault.. _

The feelings of regret weren't going to bring either of them back, though. Her parents were dead, and there was no way to change it.

Blinking herself out of her thoughts, she shakily knelt to the grass and placed the two bouquets of flowers against the gravestone. Her dad had always liked irises and her mom had liked lilies, so Christine had brought both.

She stood and clumsily wiped at her teary eyes before letting her hands fall limp to her sides. A near overwhelming feeling of weakness was threatening to take over, but she couldn't allow it to happen.

_I have to go on, for them. I have to suffer, for them. It's what I deserve. I'll always deserve to feel exactly this way. _The dark thoughts were back. They'd come about this time every year for the past two years. They also came during holidays. This time, however, Christine didn't see them going away any time soon.

_It should have been me. I'm the one who shouldn't be here, not them. They should be alive and happy, and I should be in hell. And, I will be..someday._

With a heavy sigh, Christine looked down at her watch and knew it was time to get to work. The day was already turning out to be a disaster, and god only knew how she was going to get through the rest of it.

* * *

Erik awoke with a start. His heart was racing and his face was sweating profusely beneath the mask. "Damn it," he whispered while setting his script aside and standing from the couch he'd accidentally fallen asleep on hours before.

His feet led him to the bathroom where he leaned over the sink panting. He swallowed hard before allowing his hands to remove the mask in order to splash cold water onto his face. Erik did this quickly and without looking at his reflection in the mirror. Seeing himself wasn't necessary, thank goodness, since these episodes occurred quite frequently. He knew exactly what to do.

He patted his face dry with a towel and then cleaned the inside of the mask before putting it on again, returning some comfort to his tense form.

Erik left the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen. While putting last night's half empty bottle of whiskey in the liquor cabinet, his thoughts couldn't help but return to the reason for his rude awakening on the couch- another nightmare. This one had gone on a bit longer than others. It had involved his dreadful past, which was nothing new.

His drunk for a father and drug addict mother were the reasons his past had been so 'dreadful'.

Back when Erik was just a young child, his parents had subjected him to violence, abuse, and cruelty while engaging in their addictions. It went on for years. In the past, drugs and alcohol served as weapons for his parents. They would lead them to abuse, neglect, and torture their only son. When he was a child, scared at every moment, Erik always longed for his parents to just give up and abandon him, or, if nothing else, kill him so that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

But, no. Erik's parents _enjoyed_ what they did. They _liked _treating him as if he weren't even human. And, over the years of continued abuse, Erik began to believe just that- that he wasn't human, that he was a monster. His horrendous past got worse before it got better, because his parents would invite others to torment Erik. They would all work together to make his life a living hell.

Beating after beating, torture after torture... And, all the while, part of Erik knew a monster such as he deserved such treatment, while another part of him was just an innocent scared little boy wondering why his mommy and daddy were hurting him.

Eventually, though, Erik's life took a change. When he was fifteen, he escaped his torture chamber never looking back. His only fear had been that his parents would come looking for him and find him, but they never did. Erik moved across several states over the course of a few years until he ended up in Delaware, and to this day he didn't know what had become of his parents. Perhaps they were still addicts.. or maybe their addictions had killed them.

Erik didn't know. All he knew was that he would never be able to escape his past. The results of his parents' abuse would always appear in the form of memories and nightmares.

This most recent nightmare had been about what he'd come to guess when he was in his early teenage years. Erik had come to the realization that it was _because _of his mother that he looked the way he did. The way she'd treated her body, with drugs and alcohol, had without a doubt affected his appearance. It was because of _her _that he was a monster on the outside, and it was because of both of _them _that he was the exact same on the inside.

Though he tried to aspire to be more, he was never successful. _I am a cold-hearted, hateful recluse. My face is to blame, yes, but above all, my parents are to blame. _

Erik's hands turned to fists as he longed to do to them what they'd done to him. He wouldn't, though. After all, he didn't even know where to find them... But, what if he _could _find them? What then?...

Erik took a deep breath, trying to forget his blood lust and just focus on the here and now. _My job, 'The Abductor', and Christine. Those are all that matter. _He nodded once, determined, and went into his bedroom to change clothes. He was due at Nadir Kahn's mansion in less than an hour.

* * *

"Thanks for coming in," Christine said with a smile to a customer.

"I can't wait to read what I bought. Thanks for the recommendations!" The customer left the bookstore called, Atlantic Books, carrying five new books, and Christine was left alone with only her thoughts and the thousands of books surrounding her.

Meg, her co-worker and best friend, was out taking a lunch break, so she was the only one working. They hadn't gotten much business so far today. Usually, that would have worried Christine, but today she was glad she wasn't having to force a friendly face very often. She'd have to do enough of that tonight during rehearsal.

The significance of the day and the dark thoughts that wouldn't leave her mind were really affecting her. She wasn't functioning well at all. Actually, Christine was really worried about rehearsal. _How am I supposed to be able to be Chanel when I'm barely able to be myself? _If worse came to worse, she'd just have to tell Marie, the director, what was going on. _Surely she'd understand..._

A slender girl with tanning-bed-tanned skin and fake, but pretty, blonde hair approached Christine then with a fresh smile on her face. "You want to take your break now?" the girl, Meg, asked. "I think you should. It'd be good for you to get some fresh air," she added. Meg was well aware of the current circumstances. After all, she and Christine were best friends. They had been since middle school.

Christine nodded reluctantly. "I guess so." Then, she let out a dry laugh. "I really look terrible, don't I?"

"Chris, you _never_ look terrible," Meg replied seriously. "Now, go take your break. You need some peace and relaxation."

"Can't get that until the play's over," she reminded.

Meg nodded and said optimistically, "After next Sunday, we'll be able to hang out more, which I can't wait for. And, I'll be having to hide you from paparazzi." She winked.

Christine laughed at that, and it happened to be the first time she'd laughed all day. Meg seemed to be under the impression that _The Abductor _was going to turn her into a famous person. "Actually, Meg, people are probably going to start mistaking me for my character. They'll wonder what on earth is wrong with me that I would fall in love with my kidnapper. You won't have to hide me because people will _avoid _me."

She shook her head thinking Christine's words were ridiculous. "I guess we'll just see, won't we? Now, go on. We'll talk after your break."

Saluting her friend in an obedient way and laughing again, Christine went to the back and clocked out for lunch before grabbing her script and walking outside into the bright sunlight. Eating was the absolute last thing she felt like doing, so she proceeded to lean against a tree in the shade in order to study her lines.

_Four hours until rehearsal. I only wish I weren't dreading it so much..._

* * *

Erik rolled down his car window and reached out to type in a security code. As soon as he typed in the numbers, the gate in front of him opened and he drove down a long cement driveway. He parked his car in some shade, gathered a pile of papers from the passenger's seat, and locked his car before approaching the front door of a mansion that any other person would admire. Erik, however, was so used to seeing it that its extravagance didn't affect him..not to mention the fact that it wasn't in his nature to admire material things.

Without ringing the doorbell or knocking, he merely turned the door handle and walked inside as if he owned the place. It was the loud close of the door that always alerted the mansion's owner of Erik's arrival. A few moments passed before a middle-aged dark-skinned man wearing a tan suit entered the foyer.

He smiled broadly. "Good morning, Erik." Any bystander would immediately be able to tell that this was a good, amiable man. He was worth being friendly to.

But, of course, Erik wouldn't acknowledge that. In fact, the masked man wouldn't even return the dark-skinned man's welcoming greeting. "Hello, Nadir," he swiftly said, his voice uncaring.

"How are you this morning?" Nadir asked, seemingly unaware of Erik's rudeness..or perhaps it just didn't bother him at all.

"I am well." Without waiting for an invitation, he walked past Nadir towards a room that held what he was there for- a grand piano.

Nadir chuckled before following the man he considered to be a close friend, though any other person looking in on the situation would wonder why he cared anything for Erik when it was apparent that Erik cared nothing for him. Once Erik was seated at the piano and had placed some hand-written sheet music on the stand and the rest in a pile on the bench next to him, Nadir commented with an impressed tone, "It looks as though you have composed more since Wednesday. I cannot wait to hear it." He looked to be in awe.

Erik shrugged indifferently. "Yes, well, some pieces are new since Wednesday, but some are not. However, all will be new to you. I... hope it entertains you."

"I'm sure it will." Then, Nadir walked towards an arm chair and sat waiting for Erik to play. His attention was fully captured the moment Erik began playing.

It went on for hours...

When he finished the last piece, Erik stood from the bench and turned to face Nadir, who was sitting looking speechless. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"Absolutely astonishing," Nadir breathed. "Brilliant." Knowing why his friend was standing before him looking so expectant, he announced, "I will purchase every piece, as always."

"Excellent." Erik's lips actually curled upward. Nadir purchasing his music was enough to lift his spirits some.

This was his job- composing piano pieces and playing them for the incredibly wealthy Nadir Kahn, and, in the process of playing, persuading him to buy his work. Erik was actually quite well off financially, thanks to Nadir. The man had a tendency of going overboard when deciding how much to give Erik for his compositions, although Erik didn't have a problem with it. Nadir was filthy rich. Why not share some of the wealth?

The odd thing about it, though, was that Erik had no idea what Nadir did with the music. Not that he really cared, but it was strange. To give him so much money for pieces of paper with writing on them and then perhaps never looking at that purchased paper again seemed senseless. The job itself was strange, actually. Erik loved it, and apparently, Nadir loved it even more. The proof of that came to be when Nadir opened his check book and wrote a check for $5,000. And, to get that kind of money twice a week every week? Yes, both of them loved this job.

Erik was in a very good mood, indeed, as Nadir handed him the check. He even said, "Thank you, Nadir."

"Believe me when I say this is the least I can do." He smiled, and Erik actually did the same. "Now, old friend, would you care for tea? We can drink it in the garden, if you'd like."

These were the only times Erik felt ok with being outside- in the seclusion of Nadir's property. "Yes," he said.

Nadir led him to the kitchen where he prepared tea. Erik was sure that the wealthy man before him usually had butlers and maids to complete such tasks, but, as was agreed upon years ago when Erik first started the job, it would only be the two of them in the mansion during his 'work shifts', if you could call their enjoyable activities 'work shifts'.

Nadir filled an expensive tea cup and handed it to Erik before filling his own. Then, they both went outside and sat on outdoor chairs in the middle of one of Nadir's four beautiful gardens. This one was Erik's favorite- the rose garden.

Secretly, Erik always wished he could give a rose to Christine. Sometimes, he felt he would like nothing more than to see her beauty even more enhanced when holding a red rose.

"So, how is the play coming along?" Nadir asked with genuine interest.

Just as giving a rose to Christine was to be kept secret, so was the fact that Erik really did appreciate Nadir's friendly nature. Not many people were _nice _to Erik. Usually, people behaved rudely or didn't acknowledge his existence at all.

Returning to the subject at hand, Erik replied, "It will be over in a week's time. I suppose it is coming along well enough."

Nadir knew it was going to be a superb production. He'd already bought tickets for each performance and was eager and excited to see it. It wasn't everyday that Erik performed in front of an audience. In fact, Erik had, in the past, let him know that he'd _never _performed for an audience. Of course, Nadir thought the man in the mask was born to be a performer, but it was because of the mask that Erik disagreed. All of that being said, performing for more than one person was a _major _step for his friend.

Curiously, Nadir asked, "Will you miss it when it's over?"

Erik thought about it for a moment before deciding he would answer the question truthfully. "Yes. Yes, I will miss it very much." His thoughts were centered on one person as he spoke- Christine.

* * *

_Darius knew what he had to do. He knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was right in front of him. It was time to obtain what was his._

_Removing a syringe from his coat pocket with one hand and holding a thick dark blue bed sheet in the other, he approached the young woman seated in front of her bedroom window from behind, his steps inaudible._

_Completely unaware, Chanel continued to look through her family picture album while humming a simple tune._

_Time seemed to slow down as Darius continued to close the distance between them. Chanel's parents weren't home. No one would hear the screams that were sure to come. They were alone. _

_Determined to do this right, Darius took his last step before quickly dropping the bed sheet over her head. _

_As expected, Chanel let out a sharp scream, abruptly standing. Her chair fell over in the process. Chanel's hands frantically reached upward to remove the heavy bed sheet, but, right as she raised her arms, Darius grasped both of her wrists with one gloved hand trying to be as gentle as possible, and raised them so that her upper arms were bare and visible._

_All the while, Chanel was screaming and trying to escape him, but to no avail. Everything had come as too much of a surprise for her. Her frantic movements might have been admirable, but they were also clumsy._

_Darius quickly removed the syringe's top with his teeth before soothingly but loudly saying, "Shhh, everything's all right now," and piercing the skin of her right upper arm with the injection. He then let the empty syringe fall to the hardwood floor._

_Chanel's screams got louder, her struggle for freedom more intense. But, in the next moment, everything changed. Her screaming stopped altogether and her body went limp. Darius caught her easily before she could fall and placed her on her bed. He removed the bed sheet covering her body so that he could see her glorious face again, the face he loved with all his heart. Caressing her pale cheek lightly and with a small smile on his face, he whispered, "I love you, Chanel... And, you will soon love me."_

_It was risky to wait around any longer, so Darius hurriedly turned to pick the chair up off the floor, set it neatly at Chanel's desk, gather the syringe and its lid, stick both in his coat pocket, and assess the bedroom with his eyes to make sure nothing was out of place. Satisfied, he looked down at his unconscious love and wrapped her in the dark blue bed sheet for two reasons. One, to keep her warm and comfortable. And two, for better concealment._

_Darius gathered her into his arms before situating the comforter on her bed so that it looked perfect and untouched. Then, he carried her out of her bedroom and out the back door of the house. _

_He'd succeeded. He'd won._

"Well, I think that's a great stopping place," Marie Giry announced to the auditorium. "Be in place for the next scene in fifteen minutes, everyone!"

In a flurry of commotion, most of the cast and crew members moved towards the auditorium doors wanting to spend their break chatting outside.

Erik studied Christine from his distance as she folded the bed sheet with, what looked like, tense hands. He'd always been a very intuitive person, so Erik knew something was wrong with her. It was incredibly concerning. He watched as she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. It looked as though she was wanting to do something.

Glancing at Erik, she said, "I'll be right back," before walking towards Marie who was seated in the audience writing feverishly in a notebook.

_I will talk to her when she comes back, _Erik decided, looking after her with questioning eyes.

Christine approached Marie nervously. When she looked up from her notebook, Christine, unable to think of how to address what she wanted to say, jumped right into it. "I'm really sorry if I don't seem like myself tonight. I just-... Today's been kind of rough." Now she was looking down, unable to meet her director's eyes. "M-my parents.. Today's the.. I guess you could say, second anniversary of their death. I'm just... not myself-"

Before she could finish with whatever else she was going to say, Marie stood and hugged her. "Christine, I had no idea. I'm-... I'm _so_ sorry."

She was trying hard not to let tears come out. Marie's hug was exactly what she needed, and that was making her to feel like she would cry. But, remembering that people were probably watching this caused embarrassment to replace her other weary emotions. Christine returned the hug briefly before backing away and forcing a smile. "Thank you. That helps."

Marie's worried eyes studied her face. "Listen, if you don't feel like you can rehearse tonight, you most certainly don't have to. I just want you to be ok."

Christine shook her head. "No, I think acting is helping me get through this, actually. I want to stay. I'm just really sorry if I'm terrible."

"You are _not _terrible, Christine. You're Chanel, through and through." Marie squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring way. "If there's anything I can do, please do not hesitate to tell me."

"Thank you so much for understanding. It really means a lot to me." Then, with one last grateful but forced smile, she walked back towards the auditorium chair where her script was. She was determined not to let her emotions get the better of her, especially not in front of the other cast and crew members.

Erik was sitting in a chair close to hers. It looked like he was reading over some of his lines. _He's bound to have seen at least some of that. I hope he doesn't mention it.. _

She sat down and looked over at Erik who looked at her in turn.

_Just ask, _Erik thought. "Are you alright, Christine?" _Perhaps she doesn't wish to talk about it. I will not pressure her...no matter how badly I wish to know. _

Christine gulped. _I'm not going to lie to him. I'm just not going to elaborate either. _"Yeah-. I mean, well, it's just been a hard day. I wanted to go ahead and apologize to Marie for butchering my part, as I'm sure I already have and will continue to tonight." She shrugged and let out what she hoped sounded like a real enough laugh.

_She doesn't wish to talk about it. _Erik could understand that. He never wished to talk to anyone when he was suffering. Hiding the pain was much simpler. He supposed that was one more thing the two of them had in common. "Well, for the record, you are not 'butchering' your part. You know the part of Chanel perfectly, Christine. It shows. And, since you know your part so well, the hard day you've had hasn't affected your performance at all. Perhaps _you _think that it has, but believe me, no one else thinks so." He gave her a warm, encouraging smile.

This time, the smile that came to her face wasn't fake. "Thanks, Erik." She laughed, and that wasn't fake either. "You really do always know what to say."

"Around you, I always _try _to know what to say," he admitted softly. Erik was sure he was slightly blushing underneath the mask.

"Well, trust me, your efforts are successful." Christine actually grinned, and it was real.

Erik grinned back before returning to his script, although his attention wasn't on it at all.

After a moment of still looking at him, Christine suddenly had an unexpected urge. "Erik?" His name was out before she could stop herself.

His eyes returned to hers gladly. "Yes, Christine?"

Christine thought she was going to back down from speaking her next words, but that didn't happen. "I was wondering... Could I talk to you after rehearsal? I'd like to tell you more about my day. I mean, only if you're ok with that, of course." She looked down timidly before looking up at him again.

"Of course," he replied without hesitation. "After rehearsal, you can talk to me for as long as you wish." _She wishes to open up to me? _It was more than he could have hoped for! Erik was elated.

Rehearsal couldn't end soon enough.

* * *

**I wasn't sure which story I would update next. I kind of thought it would be Pulse, but a chapter for this story just randomly came to me today. I hope it was enjoyable.**

**I'm sorry it's been forever since an update. The job I'm working now takes place from 7:15pm-7:15am and is very time consuming. It feels like all I do is work and sleep. It's hard to get my head into writing. Sorry again..**

**Ok, I just want to mention this: I know I've been writing the **_**The Abductor **_**parts of this story in 'story form' although plays are usually in 'script form', and I've been using the word 'script' in this chapter when referring to the play. I just feel like writing the play in 'story form' in the story is easier for readers to read. Really, though, the cast members have scripts. They are not reading from stories. I hope that makes sense.**

**I know a lot of you have probably given up on me, but I'm going to put this anyway: Please review! Thanks :)**

**-Lauren**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Christine wanted to talk to Erik without other people around, and it looked like that wasn't going to be a problem as the entire auditorium scattered after rehearsal. She, Erik, Roy, and Marie were the only people left within about thirty seconds.

Marie looked extremely busy, as always, but, noticing Roy's glance in her direction, Christine knew exactly what was on his mind. She turned towards Erik and asked, "Can we talk outside?"

Erik nodded stiffly. He also saw Roy staring at her, and he didn't like it, to say the least. "We can talk wherever you'd like," he said while watching the boy.

As they began walking towards the exit, Roy did the same thing.

"Hey Christine," he greeted upon meeting them at the door. He didn't even look once at Erik.

"Hi Roy."

"What are you doing tonight?"

Thinking fast, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm unpacking boxes in my apartment. I'm still not fully moved in yet." She was actually surprised at how quickly she was able to come up with that lie.

"Oh.. Do you need help?" He wasn't going to give up that easily.

Erik gritted his teeth to keep from clobbering the boy.

"No, no, I've got it." Christine was about to keep walking, but she couldn't help but feel bad for lying. Roy was trying so hard. "It's going to be really boring, anyway. I'll just see you at rehearsal tomorrow, ok?"

He nodded dejectedly. "Yeah, ok. Have a good night, Christine." He then walked outside, but not before giving Erik a glare first.

Christine looked up at Erik, unsure if he'd noticed Roy's rudeness. It didn't take much to see that he most definitely had noticed. Erik was glaring daggers at the now-closed door. "Sorry about that," she said. Somebody needed to apologize for that encounter.

Erik looked at her immediately. "There's no need for _you _to apologize. Not that _he _ever would." He shrugged. "No matter, I'm used to it." He held the door open for her and followed her to the parking lot where three cars were parked.

Christine recognized Marie's car, but the other car that wasn't her own took her by surprise. She gasped. "Whoa, _you're _the one to drives the Corvette?" She walked towards the expensive black vehicle she'd admired from afar many times before.

His car was the least of his concerns, but her tone did make him chuckle. "Yes."

Nobody else in the entire play drove something that nice. She wanted to ask how he got the money to pay for it, but she didn't feel like she knew him well enough to ask such a forward question. "I've always wondered who the owner was. You have really good taste."

He smiled while watching her, intrigued by her apparent interest. "I suppose I should correct you by saying I have really _expensive_ taste. When it comes to cars, that is." Erik wanted to go so far as to take her for a ride, but it was definitely too soon for something like that.

"Yeah, that too." She grinned at him, momentarily forgetting the reason for their being alone together in the parking lot.

Erik couldn't forget, though. Sure, they could talk about cars some more, but that wasn't the purpose of this. After a pause, he asked, "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

The smile left Christine's face. "Yeah, if that's ok…"

Seeing a nearby bench, he said, "Let's sit down," and they walked towards it. "Now," Erik said, once they were both sitting. He wanted it to seem like these sorts of talks were nothing out of the ordinary for him to take part in. Obviously, that was a lie. He never spoke to anyone besides Nadir, really. And for it to be _Christine _he was talking to was that much more nerve wracking.

Christine took that as her cue to start talking. "Well, I just wanted to tell you what's going on. You more than anyone should know, since we work so closely together and all. I know I've been messing up during rehearsal-"

Erik opened his mouth to contradict what she was saying, but she wouldn't let him.

"It's ok, I know I am. You have a right to know why." She took a breath. "You know how I've been doubting myself saying I don't deserve the part of Chanel and stuff?" He nodded. "Well, it's probably true… My parents died in a car wreck two years ago, and I just can't get over it. Today's the anniversary of it happening. Every time I think things are going to be ok for me, like when I got the lead in this play, it never ends up being that way. The memories always come back, along with the fact that they won't be able to see me perform. I can't get past it."

She was holding back tears, he could tell. His poor, sweet Christine was on the verge of falling apart in front of him. Yet, it was also obvious that she was trying to bottle it up. "I- I had no idea." Erik didn't know how to handle this. Comforting her was what he wanted to do, but-

Very seriously, Christine said, "Please don't think I'm telling you this so that you'll feel sorry for me. That's not what I want-.. It's the _last _thing I want. I really just want to be normal."

Christine didn't want pity. She didn't want comfort. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to live her life as if she wasn't experiencing pain. Quite frankly, she sounded exactly like… _me, _Erik thought, his eyes widening. The only different between them was that she could tell him what was the cause of her pain. He couldn't do the same. "Of course," he said in understanding.

She didn't know those two words could be so comforting. "Thanks." He didn't say anything, to which she added, "I kind of had a feeling you'd be different. Most people I tell start treating me like I'm some fragile child after they know. They look at me all sympathetically, which is understandable of course, but I prefer the way you're acting."

"I'm going to treat you the way you want to be treated, Christine." Deciding to expand on that, he said, "You and I share similar views. I, like you, do not appreciate pity. I feel it weakens a person. You've experienced real suffering, and you should be able to choose how you want to deal with it. The way others treat you should reflect that."

"You'd be surprised by how choosy I can be," she whispered, her voice distant.

Erik couldn't _not _be curious about that. "What do you mean?"

"I guess you've seen how I always turn Roy down?"

"A smart move."

Christine shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I mean, yeah, I realize there is nothing between us and there never could be, but I also realize that I've made a choice. I don't want to become too attached to anyone."

_Oh no… _He knew what she was saying, and her words were causing his heart to sink.

"My parents meant everything to me, and they were snatched away. I can't let myself go through that kind of pain again. I- I don't think I could handle it. I have to protect myself. "She sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm probably saying too much."

In truth, she was saying what he needed to hear. Erik couldn't go on having feelings for someone who was completely unattainable. Better to be told now than to have his heart crushed later. "No, you're not saying too much. Your reasoning makes sense." _Damn, if only it didn't… _

"So, I guess now you know." Christine looked into Erik's eyes. "Could you maybe not tell anyone else? Like I said, they'd probably start treating me different."

_Who would I tell? _Erik thought. It's not like he talked to any of his fellow cast members, anyway. "I won't tell anyone," he promised, looking into her absorbing green eyes.

She knew she could trust him. "Thank you. I just hope you don't think I'm going to ruin the play. I'm going to try really hard not to."

He shook his head and smiled. "You're going to be great, Christine. Believe in yourself."

_Believe in myself.. Easier said than done. _Looking at her watch, she knew it was probably time to go. "Well, I guess I'd better go unpack boxes in my apartment."

"Don't work too hard."

She grinned. "You don't have to worry about that. Rehearsals always make me so tired. I'll probably just fall asleep reading lines. The boxes can wait."

Erik could see what she was trying to do. _A happy façade won't erase what you're going through. I know, I've tried it. _He just wanted to tell her so many things. That she could be herself around him, for one. "Have a good night," he said instead.

"You too. See you tomorrow." They parted ways, and it was in her car that Christine thought about their talk and smiled. Erik really was different.

_This talk was more informative than I thought it would be, _Erik thought while driving to his apartment. _We are so very similar… _True, he and Christine were suffering for different reasons, but the way they dealt with it was the same.

_Not quite, though, _he realized.

Christine was unwilling to form close relationships. Whereas Erik was in need of love, although he would never openly admit it, with Christine it was different. She'd already experienced love, and it had been taken away. She didn't want that to happen again.

_But, it doesn't have to happen again. Not everything a person loves is taken away. If she could only see that… _

What was he thinking? It's not like he had the power to change her mind.

It was decided, he couldn't have feelings for her anymore. She was unattainable, she always had been.

Erik just couldn't accept that, though. He was beginning to realize that it was impossible to give up. _There has to be a way… A way to show her that not everything ends in disaster. _

But, what could he, insignificant, good-for-nothing Erik do?

That sort of thinking was no better than Christine's. "Hmmm…" That was an interesting thought. If he could change his own thinking, maybe he could help Christine change hers.

_Perhaps my parents were wrong about me. _Touching the mask on his face, Erik knew they weren't. He was repulsive and he never should have been born.

He _was _born, though. He was here, and as long as he was striving to make Christine see a different side of things, he was here to stay.

_She needs guidance, someone to talk to her. _

It was decided. It was _really _decided. Erik was going to help someone for the first time, and that someone was the girl he continued to have feelings for. He wanted to know everything about her, her past, present, and future. Then, he would make her see reality.

Tomorrow, after rehearsal, they were going to have another talk.

* * *

**Next update will be posted VERY soon :D**

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You people are amazing!**

**Please review :)**

**-Lauren  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Chanel looked at the house in front of her as she pulled the car she was driving into the driveway. She hadn't seen it in what she now knew to be a month and three days. Although her house really hadn't changed at all, in her eyes it looked different. Chanel supposed that was because of the amount of time she'd been forced to spend away from it._

_She stopped the car, got out, and looked around. Her legs were shaking with the prospect of seeing her parents again. Would they have changed much?_

_Her eyes turned back to the car parked in the driveway. It belonged to Darius. He's said, if they were to abide by her wishes, she should use it to get home. He'd finally agreed to do things her way. In other words, he'd agreed to stay hidden and not turn himself into the police, although he'd been all too willing to. But, that's not what she wanted._

_Chanel still wasn't completely sure why she'd chosen to let him go free, but she knew she didn't want to see him locked up. Darius had locked her up, and she remembered her feelings towards that._

_Some people deserved to go to jail, she knew that. Darius wasn't one of those people, though. He hadn't hurt her and he was sorry. Maybe that wasn't reason enough for some, but Chanel knew she'd made the right decision._

_The front door to her house was locked, so she rang the doorbell and waited._

_A few seconds later, the door unlocked and burst open. It was her mother, April, and she looked completely stunned. "Oh, my God…" Her hand automatically rose to her heart. "Ch-Chanel?" Her voice was shaky. _

_Chanel nodded nervously. "It's me, Mom." Tears formed in her eyes._

_April reached out and touched her daughter's cheek. Her hand was trembling. "My God," she breathed. "It really is-" Words weren't important as she moved forward and hugged her daughter fiercely. She was sobbing. "My girl, my baby girl!" At least the next two minutes were filled with hugs and kisses. "Y-you're ok?" April asked urgently while surveying Chanel's appearance._

_This was all so weird that Chanel barely knew what to say. "Yeah."_

"_I can't believe it! I just can't believe it!" April, trying to contain herself, looked outside behind her daughter. "What-"_

_Chanel knew she was referring to the car. "I- I drove it here."_

_Her mother couldn't linger on that right now. "We have to get to the station."_

"_Where's Dad?" She wanted to see both of her parents._

"_He's there. He's-." April got her cell phone out of her pocket. "I need to call them, tell them you're here and that we're coming."_

_She dialed the police station's number. When someone on the other line answered, April quickly said, "Chanel is back. She'd here, she's safe." After a pause, she continued, "We're coming there right now. Please tell my husband."_

_April ended the call and hugged Chanel again, kissing the top of her head. "Let's go, sweet heart."_

"Ten minute break," Marie yelled from her seated position in the audience. She was writing in her notebook even as she spoke. "Act two, scene four when we get back!"

Christine and the actress who played Chanel's mother, Carlotta, left the stage. Christine headed straight for her bottle of water, which was on a chair beside Erik.

"You were excellent," Erik complimented as she sat down.

As always, she didn't agree with that. She hesitated before saying, "Thanks. Does it feel nice to take a break?" She opened her water bottle and drank some.

"I suppose," he replied. "It's interesting to watch others perform."

"Well, I hope it keeps you entertained." Christine continued drinking.

"You don't ever get a chance to watch."

"No, but that's ok. I like being part of it. It's like an escape." She laughed at her choice of words.

"A vacation," Erik agreed with a slight smile.

"A getaway."

"I know exactly what you mean." They grinned at each other in understanding. "Christine, could we talk again after rehearsal?" He waited anxiously for her answer.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Excellent." He let her drink some more water while thinking about what to say later.

"Two minutes!" Marie yelled so that everyone could hear.

"I wonder if we'll get to the 'I love you' scene tonight."

Erik wondered the same thing as he watched her stand and walk towards the stage. _I hope we do..

* * *

_

They ended up going through the entire play, including the 'I love you' scene, and it went really well. Erik and Christine waited in their seats until everyone except for Marie was gone. Even Roy ended up leaving with a group of his friends.

"It looks good," Marie said, approaching her leads. "Both of you look great up there. I'd say we're going to be ready for opening night. Four days," she reminded them while walking away. "Get plenty of rest."

"We will," Christine said, chuckling at how energetic and professional Marie always was.

Erik was busy thinking about their coming conversation. They walked outside and sat on the same bench as the night before.

"I can see plenty of stars tonight," Erik finally began while looking up at the sky.

Christine nodded. "Yeah, it's a really clear night."

"How was your day?" he asked, his attention easily refocusing on the girl beside him.

She shrugged. "Kind of boring. I wasn't scheduled to work today, so I mostly read and book and studied my script."

"Where do you work?" Erik rather liked asking the questions. It helped to get to know her, which was key.

"I work at Bueller's Books, the bookstore on Third Street downtown."

"Do you like working there?"

"Yeah, I actually do. I like the people I work with. One of them is my best friend. She's a mess, but I love her," she said with a laugh. She wanted to take part in asking questions, too. "So, what do you do? Besides acting in our play, of course."

This was one question he didn't mind answering. Perhaps she would find his job interesting. "I compose music, mainly for piano. I then sell my compositions to a wealthy friend of mine. It seems he has nothing better to do with his money."

"You compose?" That's really cool."

"Yes. I also play piano, as well as other instruments. And I sing."

_How cool is this? _Christine thought excitedly. "It sounds like you're really into music. It's something I love, too."

Erik's ears perked. "Really?"

"Yeah, I like to sing. I used to be more into it than I am now, but I still love it. I actually used to want to be a famous opera singer." She blushed at her confession.

Now he was captivated. "You like classical music?"

She nodded. "It's kind of the genre my voice is adapted to."

"That's fantastic. I would like to hear you." Maybe he shouldn't have said that so soon, but it was true.

"No, I'm not any good now. I haven't really sung in public since… well, since before my parents died. It's something I still care about, but I'm out of practice."

"I'm sure you're better than you think you are. I'm going by what I see here," he explained. "You don't think you're a good actress, but any one of us would bed to differ."

She laughed. "That's really nice of you to say. Anyway, I want to hear _you_. Do you play for the person you sell your compositions to?"

"Yes. But, the only way you can hear me is if I can hear you."

"Maybe sometime," Christine said softly, although it probably wouldn't happen. Changing subjects, she asked, "Why is acting like an escape for you?"

Now she was asking something he didn't want to answer. Erik wanted to keep her at the center of their conversation. "It's just nice to get away from the repetition of daily life." That wasn't really a lie either.

"It sounds like your life is so interesting, though."

"I suppose it can be." That wasn't true, but feeling like they weren't getting anywhere, he asked, "Why is it an escape for you?"

She knew he wasn't really giving a full answer to her question, but it was only fair to answer his. "Well, my life really is repetitious and boring. I'm alone most of the time. It's not bad, it's just not very interesting."

"But, you choose to be alone?" He was probably stepping over the line now. Erik need to make progress, though.

His question, which seemed to be rhetorical, was a little forward, but Christine supposed that was ok. She'd already explained her 'choosey' things to him, so it wasn't a big deal to pursue it further. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Is it really better, though? What if you were to let someone else in? It could take the boredom away, couldn't it?"

"But then, acting wouldn't be so important, would it? Where would the play be without me?" she asked jokingly.

Christine wasn't taking this seriously. They weren't on the same page. "I'm sure acting would still be important. Only, it could serve as a hobby."

She wondered if he was taking his own advice. _What if he's being a hypocrite about this? _"Does it serve as a hobby for you, Erik?"

"Yes." In fact, that wasn't a lie. Music was his life, acting was a hobby. He didn't 'choose' to be alone, he was 'forced' to be. And look at how bitter it made him? Christine could have more. She was a good person. She was young and full of life. Only, she couldn't see that because of a devastating tragedy, and it was very unfair.

Yet, she could change, if only she would.

"Oh," Christine whispered. His firm answer made her take back her previous thoughts of him being a hypocrite. "Well, I should probably get going…" She was feeling a little uncomfortable.

_Tonight isn't the night to express my wishes to her, I suppose. _He would let her know one wish, though. "Can we have more talks like these, Christine? I know I would like to." _I hope my words haven't scared her away.. _

She knew Erik was only trying to help. It was more than she could say for most people. At least he didn't tip toe around her. They stood, and she smiled up at him. "Yeah, I'd like that. Let's talk about music some more next time."

"Yes, I look forward to it." They parted ways.

_We will talk about that, as well as other things, _Erik thought, now completely unwilling to back down. She'd capture his heart and he didn't want her to give it back. The problem was, she didn't have the slightest idea of his feelings.

That was nonsense, though. The problem would be if she _knew _of his feelings, wouldn't it?

The 'I love you' scene from the play ran through his mind then. Erik quickly shook it off and got in his Corvette, sighing heavily upon placing his hands on the steering wheel.

His thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. Even though it was pointless to have feelings for her, it couldn't be denied… _Could I really be in love with the girl?

* * *

_**I hope this chapter was enjoyable. **

**Thank you for reading! Please review. I really do read and appreciate each one I receive :)**

**-Lauren  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Erik awoke early on Wednesday morning with a plan in mind. Opening night of _The Abductor _was Friday. That meant there were two more rehearsals. This being said, he wanted to form some sort of relationship with Christine in that small period of time, whether it be friendship or something more.

'Something more' was hopeless, he knew, but Erik truly wished she would consider him to be a friend. Friendship meant that she should feel able to open up to him. Or, hopefully that's what it meant to her.

Quite frankly, all Erik thought about, worried about, and wanted was her.

It was kind of funny how all of his nerves were focused on Christine and not the play.

* * *

Marie Giry was firm on her belief that the cast and crew were ready. Did they even need Thursday night's rehearsal? Well, it couldn't hurt, but if something were to prevent it from taking place, no one would suffer.

"Excellent job," she announced to everyone in the auditorium. "What a great dress rehearsal. I want all of you to go get plenty of rest. Have a good night."

The cast and crew began getting their belongings together. They were all in costume since it was so near opening night, so the backstage changing and storage areas were a bit chaotic.

Erik and Christine were dawning formal attire, Erik wearing a full-faced black mask and a black suit and Christine wearing a white mask and a pale blue dress. The final scene of the play entailed the two of them meeting at a masquerade ball. The scene was very powerful. It portrayed them silently dancing together to an orchestrated number before leaving the ball hand in hand. Perhaps it didn't sound as powerful as it looked, but everything Darius and Chanel had been through throughout the play really came together beautifully in that ending scene.

Erik's eyes found Christine's as they put up costumes and got their belongings together. Christine had the most clothing changes of anyone due to being in nearly every scene, so it was a little humorous watching her hang everything up.

"What?" she asked curiously when he smirked at her.

He chuckled. "It's just, you really do have a lot of outfits. Many more than the rest of us."

"Yeah, I'm becoming quite the expert on changing clothes. You should see me away from here," she grinned. "Give me about 20 seconds and I can have on a completely different outfit."

"I'm impressed," Erik said, playing along. "Perhaps that gift will come in handy."

"It already has." She winked.

Erik found her actions to be extremely appealing. He had to focus on not staring at her for too long. "It's a nice night. Would you like to talk outside?" Always expecting rejection, he tensed nervously.

"Yeah, definitely," Christine replied. She was very interested in talking more about music with him.

He'd actually forgotten about music completely, which was odd. Usually, music occupied all of his attention, but when Christine was around nothing else seemed to matter.

They walked outside, put their belongings in their cars, and then sat on their usual bench.

"Excited about opening night?" Christine asked, starting the conversation.

Erik nodded. "I feel like we are ready. Really, I thoroughly enjoy _The Abductor_. It's thought provoking. Its originality and rather far-fetched outcome will undoubtedly collect a lot of attention."

"Yeah, I agree. It's no wonder tickets are already sold out for most of the showings. For me, though, it's nerve wracking. If I mess up, I'll be mortified."

"You won't mess up," Erik assured her firmly. "Another reason I like this play so much is.. well, it's because of you." Now he knew he had her full attention. "You are so talented, Christine. When you're up on stage, you _are _Chanel. I know for a fact that you have memorized everyone's lines, too, not just your own. It takes a truly dedicated performer to do that. You have to believe in yourself. I do. We all do."

Christine blushed and laughed to try to lighten the atmosphere. "Thanks. And you're right, I do know everyone's lines. I really have nothing better to do with my time than to study them. I find the play just as interesting as you do, which makes me believe you've memorized all of it, too. Also, I could say the same about you. You _are _Darius when you're up on stage. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role."

He smiled. "You're so kind. Thank you." Something she'd said made him curious, which he was glad of. "You say you have nothing better to do with your time than to memorize lines?"

Shrugging, she responded, "Well, I have my other job and all, but other than that I don't have much going on."

Instead of trying to fix it, Erik tried a different approach. "I can relate. When this ends, all I will have is music."

They were quiet for a few seconds, both looking downward sadly.

"Well, you do have music, at least," Christine pointed out. "I'd say that's about all you need." An optimistic smile adorned her face. She was very ready to change the topic to music.

"That's not all a person needs," Erik interjected. "Although I once believed otherwise, I now know a person needs more than hobbies in their lives. They need people. To have someone to confide in can really go a long way."

She knew that was true, but the fact that what he was saying wasn't possible made her wish to contradict him. But, to get further into it would get her into trouble. It would mess up their working relationship. "Let's talk about music," she suddenly said, her tone bright. "It's so cool that you sell your own compositions. How many pieces have you sold?"

Erik's brow furrowed slightly. She'd changed subjects and that was frustrating. He'd so badly hoped she would open up to him.. _She's so damaged. It pains me to think of what she has had to endure. _Maybe it would be best to abide by her wishes, though. He didn't want to upset her. "Hundreds, actually. I lost count after a while. However, you must remember that only one person thinks they're good enough to purchase."

"I doubt that. I bet, if you were to try to sell your music to the mainstream, people would love it. You seem like the type of person that would associate with intelligent people. I'm sure your friend knows good music when he hears it."

She seemed to be confident about that, whereas she was never confident when it came to herself. _I love you, Christine… _There it came again! That thought.. And yet, this time it wasn't in the form of a hesitant question. It was a proclamation. Erik felt himself getting dizzy.

"Are you ok?" Christine asked with concern, seeming to notice his quick change in demeanor.

He blinked trying to return to normal. "Forgive me, I was just thinking."

"About what?" If he could be somewhat invasive with her, then she could do the same.

He most certainly couldn't tell her the truth, not the full truth at least. "About what you said. You just seemed so confident."

"I guess I'm usually not.." She seemed to shrink back a little.

"You should be," he encouraged. "Really, you have so much to be confident about. You're talented, dedicated, hard-working, beautiful, you are wonderful to talk to, and you're fun to be around."

A heavy blush covered her cheeks. "Wow, you didn't have to say any of that… But, thank you."

"If only you would believe it."

"Hmm… Would _you _believe it if I were to tell you the same thing?" The look he gave seemed to answer her question. "I didn't think so. You and I are a lot alike, don't you think?"

_Except for the fact that I have every reason to feel as I feel. You, on the other hand, are perfect. _"I suppose," he replied softly. They were alike in that neither of them wanted to discuss their problems, at least.

An idea abruptly came to him then. It immediately seemed to boost his mood. "I'm afraid I must be going. We both need plenty of rest."

Christine noticed the sudden cheerfulness in his tone but didn't address it. They stood." Have a good night. One last rehearsal. It's hard to believe.. I'm really going to miss this."

Erik wished he could say what was on his mind, but there would be time for that later. "Yes, it is hard to believe. I will see you tomorrow, Christine." He then walked to his car.

While driving, Erik went over everything in his head. _I shouldn't push her or try to form any sort of bond with her now. I should wait until after the play ends. On the last night, I will reveal my intentions. I will ask to continue seeing her. If she rejects me, I will be hurt…_

He shook his head. _She won't. She can't. I am the only one who understands her. Once she knows that, she can finally push away her fears and doubts. She'll be happier than she's been in a very long time, and so will I._

The smile on his face was one of anticipation and confidence.

* * *

**I am so, so sorry for the lack of updates on this story. I've had a bit of writer's block. I know this chapter was short, but there is much more to come.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! Please leave a review for this chapter.**

**-Lauren**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

From the viewer's take, opening night of _The Abductor _was 'stunning', 'brilliant', 'perfect', 'incredible', and so much more. _Everyone _got in line to congratulate the cast after the standing ovation came to an end.

One cast member wasn't present to receive their compliments, though, and that was Erik.

Sneaking outside so that he could hurry to the privacy of his Corvette, he was relieved to find that no one had followed him.

It was only when he was nearing his car that a frown came to his face. _It appears I am not so lucky after all.. _Nadir Kahn was standing next to his black Corvette with a broad grin on his face.

"I had a feeling you would sneak away from the crowd," Nadir greeted jovially.

Erik smugly replied, "Yes, well, their opinions do not matter to me. I didn't wish to stand within the row of cast members for hours on end shaking hands with strangers."

Nadir chuckled, amused by his friend's response and demeanor. "May I state _my_ opinion?" A small shrug was all he got for an answer. "It was a masterpiece. I didn't know the Guild could put on a production of such quality. You and Chanel were fantastic. If I remember correctly, her name is Christine?"

"Yes. She's amazing, isn't she?" Erik asked, although it was a rhetorical question.

A small, knowing smile came to Nadir's face. Erik was, at the very least, infatuated with the girl. "She's a very talented actress. But, it's the chemistry between you that's truly stunning. Every time you and she were on stage together, it was magical."

Erik's chanced a glance behind him towards the auditorium. People were beginning to emerge from the building. "Thank you, Nadir. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's getting late, though. I will see you this coming week."

"Alright, old friend. I'll see you soon."

As he began to walk away, Erik felt the need to say one last thing. "Nadir?" He turned. "It was.. good of you to come."

Nadir nodded once in understanding before continuing on his way.

With his thoughts on the near future, Erik got in his car and began driving towards his apartment.

_In just two nights, I shall tell Christine how I feel. It has to be good, but it cannot sound too rehearsed. I will be honest. Everything I say will come directly from my heart._

* * *

Amazingly, the second night went better than the first and the third even better than that. Some viewers were literally in tears by the end of the final performance, and their applause was as loud as thunder.

Just as they had for the past two nights, the cast stood in a row in front of the stage to greet and listen to compliments given by members of the audience.

Christine felt overwhelmed by all the praise. Each performance had been sold-out, so she'd shaken hands and briefly talked with hundreds of people in the past two nights. Tonight was proving to be no different. Except… Christine looked beside her and was shocked to see Erik standing there.

"Decided to join us tonight?" she asked loudly over all the noise around them.

Under the mask, Erik's lips curled upward. _She noticed.. _"I decided it wouldn't hurt," he joked.

"We'll have to stand here forever and smile the whole time. You sure you want to stay?" Not that she really wanted him to go, but she also didn't want him to feel like he was being tortured.

He nodded firmly. "I'm sure. Besides, it doesn't matter if _I _smile. They won't be able to see it." He winked down at her.

"That's not fair," Christine mumbled. She heard him laugh beside her, and she couldn't help but smile at the sound of it.

Then, the shaking of hands, the smiling, and the listening to positive comments given by each and every member of the audience began.

It lasted an hour. A whole hour. Christine's face was incredibly sore by the end and she glared at Erik. "Your face probably doesn't hurt at all. As I said before, that's not fair."

"My apologies, mademoiselle," he said smoothly with an easy smile.

Christine snapped her fingers. "Ah-ha! You're smiling now, aren't you?"

"Perhaps.."

She laughed at his mysterious tone and shook her head lightly. "Well, I'd better go change."

Erik nodded. "Of course." He watched her walk away while thinking, _It's time to focus. I cannot mess this up. _He walked to an empty seat and sat down. His heart was pounding as he waited for her to return.

Christine waved to a few of the other cast members. Thankfully, Roy wasn't among them. She was tired tonight and all she wanted was to go to sleep in her cozy apartment bed.

She got her things and left the dressing room, hoping all the while that she wouldn't run into Roy. Surprisingly, no one was backstage. She moved aside the backstage curtains so that she was on stage, and that's when she saw Erik sitting in one of the auditorium seats. "Oh, hi," she said, surprised.

"Hi," Erik repeated, looking up at her on stage. She was beautiful. The stage suited her well. "Are you going to miss being up there?" He simply watched her from his seated position.

She blushed, feeling shyer in front of him than she had in front of the sold-out crowds. But yeah, she was going to miss it. A lot. Walking down a set of stairs to get off the stage, she replied, "Yeah, I am. The play has pretty much been my life for the past month. I won't know what to do with myself," she laughed.

Erik didn't say anything to that but stood and began walking towards the exit with the young woman whom he'd come to love more than anything behind him.

They made it outside. He could tell she was tired, but… he couldn't let her get away, not after all this. He had to follow through with his intentions.

"Christine," he addressed softly.

She turned to look at him and they both stopped walking. Unaware of the intensity of the moment, she merely asked, "Yeah," with a kind smile.

His eyes strayed away from her face briefly while he began, "We received a lot of compliments tonight, didn't we?"

"_Oh _yeah, a ton."

"I couldn't help but notice that many of them were about the chemistry between us." He paused, but she didn't say anything. "I knew what they were talking about. I felt our chemistry every time we were on stage together… Did you?"

Christine tensed. _What's he getting at? Is this just friendly talk, or.. is it something more? _"We're definitely good actors."

Erik studied her wondering if she was avoiding the question or if that was her answer. "Was it really all an act?" His breathing became a bit shallower as his determination began to turn into nerves.

_This is definitely more than just friendly talk, isn't it? Oh no, what do I say? I don't want to say the wrong thing.. _"Um, well, I mean, it's not like we're really Darius and Chanel." She laughed a little at the thought.

That wasn't what he wanted to hear. It was so frustrating. Why couldn't she just.. let go, drop the barriers? "Christine, can you honestly tell me that you didn't feel anything? Throughout the past month, has it all been an act?" _Please, Christine… _

Christine's heart was pounding. Why was he making this so difficult? Didn't he remember…? "I- I can't, I just-..." She shook her head and looked down.

Now he was becoming desperate. "You have to protect yourself. You can't allow yourself to become too close to anyone. You don't want to lose anyone else, you don't think you could handle it. I haven't forgotten that conversation, but-.." He took a deep breath and finally chanced a step towards her.

"Christine.. You think you can control everything about yourself, but can you really control your heart?" Erik studied her unsure expression before reaching out to touch her cheek. He then whispered, "I know I cannot."

She wore a panicked, almost tearful expression. "Erik.. Th- this is too much. I can't, I just can't." Before letting out the tears that threatened to spill over, she shook her head one last time before walking quickly past him towards her car.

Erik was left standing very still. He couldn't move, he couldn't even _feel_.

He apparently couldn't see either, because he was completely unaware of a nearby Marie Giry walking towards him. She'd overheard everything.

Her leads were in need of help, and since Christine was already gone, it looked like Erik was going to be the only one to receive it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A teary-eyed Christine sat alone in her car outside her apartment complex. _I'm always alone, and I'll always be alone.. And it's all my fault... _

She lowered her head to the top of the steering wheel while remembering what Erik had said. Christine couldn't understand why. He'd basically repeated what she had told him during one of their previous conversations outside the theater, about how she couldn't become too close to anyone, and yet he still confessed his feelings for her. He still touched her cheek...

Christine's hand rested against the cheek he'd touched for a moment. Even if she _had _felt something, it wouldn't mean anything. Not really. When she'd lost her parents, she'd lost the ability to form meaningful relationships.

But, she still felt horrible. In the process of denying Erik, she'd lost someone she could truly confide in, someone she'd actually let in, someone she could call a friend. It was depressing, just like the rest of her life.

Finally deciding to get out of the lonely car, Christine trudged towards her even lonelier apartment planning to try to go to sleep. Maybe it would help, but that didn't seem too promising.

* * *

"Erik?" Marie approached him until she was standing right in front of his tall form.

"Hello Marie," Erik said, his tone dull and distant.

"Hello." She wanted to pat him on the shoulder, or do something to comfort him. But, he probably wouldn't allow it. Instead, she said, "It's going to be all right."

"You heard us?" he asked indifferently.

"Yes." Marie watched him for a moment. He was obviously very distraught. She would have to choose her words carefully. "I feel like I've known Christine for a while. She has been through a lot, more than any girl her age, or anyone for that matter, should have to go through. She's a sweet girl, but she's very distant and guarded. What she's been through has caused her to create a sort of boundary around herself."

"I already know all of this, Marie." He didn't sound hostile, just very sad.

"Then you need to understand. Your confession has scared her. She wasn't prepared, and she's not used to that. Christine is the type of person who is rarely taken off guard."

"I know that, as well." Erik sighed. "I appreciate your attempts to help, but there is no need. What's done is done."

Pretending like she didn't hear him, Marie said, "My advice is this- don't give up. You mustn't stop trying. I think, if Christine were to understand that you really were serious and that you wouldn't leave her like her loved ones unintentionally did, she might come around."

"I don't think so..."

Again, she pretended not to hear him. "You can't be so aggressive, though. You have to show her that you wouldn't leave her, but you have to do it in a friendly and caring way. She obviously needs time, so you need to take things slowly."

"She rejected me, Marie. I think it's over." His eyes were lowered to the ground.

Marie huffed. "You can't think that way, Erik. You need to snap out of your gloom and doom mood and take action. Do you have her phone number?" He shook his head, still looking down. "Well, I do." Scrambling through her belongings, she found a pencil, a piece of paper, and her notebook with all of the cast members' phone numbers. Flipping to the correct page, she scribbled Christine's information on the sheet of paper and handed it to him. "Here, you might want to give her a couple of days, but after that time has passed, I recommend you give her a call. Apologize for being so forward and explain your intentions." He was looking at her quizically now. "Yes, I think you should tell her that you want to be what she needs, even if that's only a friend, but that your feelings have not changed. And perhaps, eventually, she will open up and stop trying to control her feelings. If not, at least you can say that you tried. You didn't give up and that's important."

"What if she doesn't want anything from me, not even friendship?"

He wasn't saying no to her advice, which was a plus. "Well, as I said, at least you gave it your best shot. But Erik, if I know Christine, which I think I do, she'll want you in her life. I've seen you two together. In my opinion, there's something there whether she's aware of it or not. I believe she will become aware of it in time."

Erik thought about it. Marie sounded very sure of herself. She was trying to help him, and her advice actually made sense. To call Christine and explain that he would be whatever she needed and that he just wanted to stay in her life seemed possible. He nodded. "Perhaps you are right. I _want _to try, so maybe I should..." His lips finally curled upward in determination. "Thank you, Marie. You have been most helpful."

"Have a good night, Erik," she said, turning to walk towards her car with a triumphant smile on her face.

* * *

_48 Hours Later..._

Erik took a deep breath. Christine's phone number was in his hand, as well as his cell phone. He had to be brave. He couldn't dwell on the possibility that his plan wouldn't work. He had to stay controlled and confident.

He dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.

She answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

The mere sound of her voice was like a breath of fresh air. "Hello Christine. This is Erik."

There was nothing but silence on the other end.

* * *

**It seems all of my updates recently have been short and cliffhanger-y. Nevertheless, I hope this was at least somewhat enjoyable. I guess a short update is better than no update at all haha**

**Please review with your thoughts! And I thank everyone who's reading, Favoriting, Alerting, and reviewing this story :-)**

**Thank you!**

**-Lauren**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The silence felt like it was going on for a very long time. _Too long, _Erik thought, his heart hammering.

"Ch- Christine?" he asked, not being able to contain his nerves.

"Hey," she finally said on the other line. It sounded like she hadn't been expecting this _at all._

_Yet again my actions have caught her off guard. This is not getting off to a good start... _He had to give it his best shot, though, as Marie had told him. What to say next?.. "How are you?" _Sure, why not begin with an obvious followup question._

Christine felt like she couldn't breathe properly, but that was only the beginning of it. She was feeling so many things that it was hard to focus on just one. _Wh- what did he ask? _It luckily came to her in the next moment. "I'm good," she replied with forced cheerfulness. So as not to seem rude, she returned the question. "Um, how are you?"

Erik was focused on the fact that her answer was an obvious lie. No way was she 'good'. In the time that he'd known her, she'd rarely been 'good'. There was always a suppressed sadness. Erik felt like he knew Christine well, perhaps better than she knew herself at times. That might seem a little cocky, but Erik had always been a very intuitive man. "Well, to tell the truth, I'm not well. I have been worried about you, Christine. I- I made a mistake the last time we spoke. I said too much too soon and I shouldn't have." He stopped there, not wanting to overwhelm her. "I'm so sorry," he finished.

"It's ok," she attempted to reassure him. "I'm fine. Really."

He sighed. It wasn't ok, she wasn't fine, and he was to blame. She was just so guarded.. It wasn't frustrating, it was sad.

He knew he needed to get to the point quickly before she could try to politely get off the phone, which he was sure was her next course of action. "Christine, I want you to listen to me. Please, just.. hear what I have to say." He took a deep breath to control himself. "After we talked two nights ago, I found out that Marie had heard everything. She approached me when you left. I felt you should know. I don't want to keep things from you."

Well, that bit of information was embarrassing. Christine hadn't wanted her breakdown to be a public event. "Oh... What did she say?" _Do I even want to know? _Really, the longer she and Erik talked, the harder it was going to be to hurt him.

"She told me things that I already knew, but she also told me that I should contact you. She doesn't want me to give up, which was my initial plan. Don't take that the wrong way. My purpose for calling is not to pressure you."

"Why have you called?" Christine couldn't help but ask, although she hated to sound rude. This entire conversation was very confusing. If his intentions weren't to pressure her, then what were they?

"I want to know if we can still be friends. Even if I hadn't confessed what I did two nights ago, I would still want to know if we could meet up occassionally, at a park or coffee shop, somewhere like that. We could talk about music, acting, anything you'd like. I just.. I don't want you out of my life, Christine. I've never been able to carry on conversations with others, but I can with you. I can be myself, which I'm not used to. I- I don't want to lose that."

She was aware of the fact that he was bearing his soul to her. It had to be very difficult for him. Truth be told, she wanted what he wanted. She'd always liked the relationship they had. It was casual but interesting. To be able to carry on an engaging, intelligent conversation with someone was refreshing. Sure she could talk to Meg, but the depth of their conversing didn't quite measure up. But... "Your feelings.."

"I can't say that they have disappeared," Erik admitted slowly. "I can control them, though. As I said, I will be whatever you need. If friendship is all we can ever share, I am fine with that. Above anything, I want your happiness. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. So I suppose, as the saying goes, the ball is in your court." Everything was on the line here... She had the power to make him the happiest man alive or hurt him immensely.

Christine could feel the intensity of the situation. He was asking so much, probably more than he knew. Her eyes travelled about the room she was in. There were boxes that desperately needed unpacking. There was dust covering what little was unpacked. And there was empty space, lots of empty space. She didn't want it to be this way. Christine wanted a neat, organized apartment. She wanted friends and to feel carefree and happy. _I don't deserve it, though. I don't deserve anything good. _Perhaps it was time to be perfectly honest with him.

"No matter how much I would like to enjoy life and have you be a part of it, I can't.. I don't deserve it. Erik, if it weren't for me my parents wouldn't be dead right now. I- I killed them. I didn't mean to.. I was careless and stupid. But, that doesn't change the fact that I was the cause of the car wreck that killed them." She let that sink in a little before saying, "I wish I could change it. I've imagined so many times what I would do differently. No matter how much I want to change it, though, I can't. And it kills me a little more everyday. I hate myself for what I did." Christine was on the verge of tears. "You see, you don't want this. Some weak, mopey girl who can barely function most of the time... It's depressing."

Erik didn't know.. He didn't know she was in such anguish. _No wonder.. _It was no wonder she put up such a barrier. She believed whole-heartedly that she was a murderer.

He swallowed while thinking about it. Oh, how he hated what this was doing to her.. It made him feel incredibly guilty. Ever since he'd left his parents, he'd imagined murdering them, making them pay for what they'd done to him. But, how would he truly feel if he were the cause of his own parents' deaths? Would he really feel better? After listening to Christine, he knew that he wouldn't. He'd probably feel exactly as she felt, except _he_ would have a valid reason for it.

"I can't fully relay to you how deeply what you said pains me or how sorry I am. Oh Christine... I had no idea.. It forces me to think about my own life. But that is unimportant. My main focus is to help you to see that you are not the bad person you think you are."

"You weren't there, Erik. You didn't see. It was their wedding anniversary and I wanted to drive us all to the park. One stupid glance away from the road, and that was it. The truck hit us so hard... I'll never be able to forget all the blood. You just-.. You can't understand."

"You're right. I can't fully comprehend what you're going through. You have to understand, though. We all feel guilty for something. It wasn't until now that I realized just how true that is. My parents were drug addicts. My mother's addictions were the reason I was born with a facial deformity. While growing up, they abused me in unspeakable ways. I eventually escaped them, but it wasn't without suffering terrible damage. Since then, I have always imagined getting my revenge. The gruesome ways I could do it have crossed my mind an infinite amount of times. I always thought that I could murder them without feeling any guilt or remorse. I was wrong.. To actually _be _a murderer would change me. That being said, your belief that you killed your parents have changed you."

Christine nodded. "I used to be so happy."

"It's not your fault," Erik stated firmly. "Think about it, Christine. You were a teenager. How many teenagers have unintentionally looked away from the road while driving, even if only for a split second? Many. In fact, I believe everyone has at one time or another. I know I have. A horrible tragedy occurred the day your parents died. It wasn't your fault. Do you honestly think your parents would blame you?" She didn't respond. "They wouldn't. No one would. You aren't the horrible person you think you are. You're a very good person, the best person I know."

She imagined a therapist would say a lot of what Erik had just said. If only she could believe it... It would make her life so much better. Christine wondered if she would feel differently today had she gone to a therapist in the beginning and heard the same thing. Would she still feel the need to put up such a wall? She couldn't deny that Erik's words were somewhat comforting.

What if.. What if she allowed herself to hear more of what he had to say? Would it become more believable? Was it worth a try? "A- are you really willing to put up with me? I mean, I might need you to be a sort of therapist.. I have so many problems."

Hope! There was hope! "Christine, I would do anything for you. I don't want that to scare you, but honestly I will be anything you want me to be."

Feeling a slight bit of trust, Christine sincerely whispered, "Thank you."

"I feel like I should be the one thanking you."

"No," she shook her head. "No, you've really helped me." Thinking about it, she continued, "You always seem to help me."

"And I'll continue trying to help you for as long as you'll have me." A slight smile came to his face. "We can help each other."

"That sounds nice." There was a pause. "Erik, I'm really sorry for acting the way I did the other night-"

Immediately, he cut in. "No, Christine, don't apologize. There is no need. I'm just glad Marie could talk some sense into me."

"She's a wise woman," Christine acknowledged, chuckling.

Erik cherished the moment. This was perfect. It was exactly enough. Therapeutic friendship.. It would be beneficial to both of them. And if that was all they could ever have, it would still be more than he deserved. He couldn't wait to see her again. It would be up to her to initiate a meeting.

"We could meet tomorrow, if you want."

"I would like that." He decided not to voice just how much he would like it.

"At the auditorium?" Christine asked. She thought it might be nice to meet at their usual place.

"Yes." That she would think to meet there meant to him that she still had fond memories of their previous after-rehearsal conversations.

They planned to meet early evening and then they pleasantly ended their phone conversation.

In both of their minds, the conversation had gone better than either of them could have imagined.

* * *

**Well, I decided I really wanted to update this story again. I hope it was an enjoyable chapter. I hated leaving it at such a cliffy last time haha.**

**Please review, my review angels! You all rock!**

**-Lauren**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was 5:45pm the following evening and Erik was waiting anxiously in his Corvette outside the Playhouse auditorium. He still had fifteen minutes until their official meeting time, but his nerves caused him to make it to the parking lot early.

He gazed out at the auditorium remembering what had taken place in the building- the play. If it hadn't been for _The Abductor_, he never would have met Christine. He would have stayed a reclusive composer who only ventured out of his apartment to pay a weekly visit to Nadir. He would still be the selfish monster in a mask who only cared for his music... Everything was different now.

Erik cared for Christine more than even _he_ could comprehend. She'd taken over his actions, his thoughts, his _life_. He needed her. It was something he'd always sworn never to fall victim to. But it was also something that he would never take back, even if he could. Christine had changed him. She'd changed him from a monster to a man, and she'd made it so that music was second in his life. She was first, plain and simple.

Erik had initially decided to audition for the play out of merely being able to compare himself to the main character, Darius Wade. To analyze his reasons further, however, he truly believed that Christine had everything to do with it, even before he knew her. It was fate that drew him to audition because it was fate which led to meeting her.

He would always remember _The Abductor _and what it'd had the power to do. And he wouldn't change what it had done for him for the world.

* * *

Christine left the bookstore at 5pm glad that she would have time to change out of her work clothes before meeting with Erik.

While working her 8-hour shift, she'd briefly explained the past two days to Meg in between helping customers. Her friend was so happy for her, which Christine tended to want to shy away from. She hadn't even gone into much detail about Erik, yet Meg had been practically glowing with hope. She had a feeling Meg would react that way, so Christine had purposefully made sure to keep her story as short as possible.

Meg gave plenty of advice, even with the lack of information. _'Don't run away from this, Christine. I know it's your first instinct to do that, but I'm begging you not to.' 'Give this guy a chance. As you said, he's just a friend.' 'It sounds like the two of you have a lot in common. Just loosen up, have fun. Okay?' _Christine had insisted that she would, although it was really just to calm her friend down.

It was a relief to be driving back to her apartment away from Meg's repetitive instructions. _I can handle this, _Christine thought. She knew Meg was only trying to help her, and she really was appreciative and thankful, but she needed to do this on her own.

Once in her apartment, Christine nervously changed clothes while distantly wondering why she was caring about her appearance. _This isn't a big deal. It's just meeting and talking with a friend. _She shook her head while examining her appearance in her bathroom mirror before grabbing her purse and driving to the auditorium. _Meg's got me all riled up and anxious. I've gotta calm down._

She focused on her breathing and, most importantly, her driving the rest of the way.

* * *

Christine noticed Erik's Corvette right away as she turned into the parking lot.

Erik noticed Christine's face more than her car as she drove towards him and parked in a space beside his. He had to focus on not staring at her, even if it was what he wanted to do. But pushing her away by giving into his 'wants' was the last thing that needed to happen. This would be the most important meeting of his life, because it would either lead to more meetings or end them altogether. He didn't even want to think about the latter happening...

They got out of their cars and smiled at one another.

"Good evening," Erik greeted politely.

"Good evening," Christine returned, chuckling at his always-formal but never intentional approach. The normalcy of it helped to calm her nerves. "Want to sit on the bench?"

He nodded, his lips curling upward and his nerves decreasing at the familiarity of it. They walked together silently. So as not to create awkwardness, Erik acknowledged, "It's been a nice day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, not too hot but still sunny. I like days like these." They sat down on the bench and looked towards the sky.

It was summer, so the sun wouldn't be setting for quite some time. Erik was happy about that, as it would hopefully give them more time to talk before she decided it was 'getting late' or something of the sort. "What have you done today," he asked, his eyes easily returning to the girl on his left.

"I worked at the bookstore all day, nothing too special," she replied, shrugging. "What about you?"

"Well, let's see.." Erik wanted to give a captivating, clever response that would spark her interest. "I woke up fairly early. A new composition was what woke me. That happens quite often, actually. I'll dream of music, an original piece, and it will unfold in my dreams before forcing me to wake up and write it down. I write the notes and play it on my piano until I am satisfied. Then, voila. A fresh piece of music is created. That's what happened this morning."

Christine's eyes widened in wonder. "Whoa.. For real? That would be so cool..."

He chuckled appreciating her reaction more than she knew. "It does cause lack of sleep, though. But sacrifices must be made, I suppose."

"So, then you take it to that man? The one who buys your music?"

Erik nodded surprised that she remembered. "Yes, but I usually wait until I have composed a few pieces. I like to keep his interest, you see." He winked at her playfully. "And it seems I do, for he continues to invite me each week."

"That's awesome!" Christine was really interested in hearing about Erik's musical talents. "It sounds like you have quite a gift."

"Perhaps I can share a recording of one of my pieces with you sometime." He chose those words carefully, for inviting her to his apartment to let her hear his music live was out of the question. Though the image of Christine sitting in his music room listening to and watching him play piano was something he longed for, he knew it would always be nothing more than an amazing dream. He was hoping she might actually agree to it this way.

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah, please! I'd love that!"

He grinned, secretly feeling triumphant in that another meeting was already in the works. Now, was it the time or place to mention _her_ musical talents? He remembered the first time they'd talked about her singing. Christine hadn't wanted to sing for him because she felt she was out of practice, though Erik had said even then that she was probably wrong in thinking that. "I'd be glad to let you listen to a recording. I must admit I will be nervous, for a fellow musician like yourself may be more critical than someone like Nadir."

Christine laughed saying, "I'm pretty sure Nadir and I are similar in that we are both lovers of music. You call me a fellow musician, but I need to correct you. I might've been a musician at one time, but not anymore. Gosh, you play _every day_. I sing maybe once a month, and that's only along with the radio in my apartment while I try to unload boxes that desperately need unpacking." Eyes downcast, she softly said, "I'm not a musician anymore."

Her words made his heart wrench in pain. What she said was just so wrong.. Erik could barely stand it. He wished he could erase her sadness, or even take it for himself. Anything to make her happy again.. "Christine," he began, wishing he could lift her chin so that she was looking at him. "You said on the phone that I may need to be a sort of therapist for you. Well, perhaps that can start here." He paused before saying, "Once a musician, always a musician. You may be an out-of-practice musician, but you are a musician nonetheless. You have a love for music, you said it yourself. It is in your _heart_. So you sing along with the radio once a month." He shrugged, brushing it off. "The quantity is unimportant. The fact that you still partake in singing at all is what's important. Christine, when you sing how do you feel?"

She took a moment to think about his question before looking up at him. "I feel.. good. Really good. I mean, afterwards I always feel bad about it, but in the moment it sort of takes hold of me. I pretend I'm singing an aria with accompaniment, not just a song on the radio." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her personal confession.

Erik felt like his heart was about to explode with hope and love. She was extraordinary. At one time in his life, he didn't have the means to play a piano or write compositions on paper like he did now. Back when he was younger, all he had was his imagination, just like her. He was very familiar with her feelings. They were both so similar... _My love.. My exquisite love.. _"I can relate to those feelings, Christine. At one time, I only had my imagination when it came to music. And oh, what I imagined... I wasn't the abused little monster my parents claimed me to be or the homeless masked teenager I was after that. I was a composer able to make music freely and I had everything I needed to do so."

Christine said with sincere happiness, "You got what you wanted. What you imagined actually came true. I'm so glad."

He agreed with _that _part, the music part, but she didn't know the other half of what he imagined. It was the more prominent half. He imagined being loved and loving someone. Part of that finally came to be, the 'loving someone' part, but to be loved? Well, that was and would always be something he could only imagine.

He didn't need to dwell on all that right now, though. There was potential progress being made. "What you imagine can come true, too. You have the means. You only need the confidence."

"I lost that when I lost _them_.. Getting it back would take a lot of help."

An idea he thought to be brilliant came to mind. "What if I could be of some assistance?"

Her head tilted to one side. "What do you mean?"

His eyes found hers. "I could train you. Do you remember when I told you that I sing?" She gave a slow nod. "Well, I can't say that I have ever taught anyone, but being that I taught myself, I believe I could help someone else. I could give you voice lessons. It is all up to you, of course, and I truly hope I am not scaring you away..."

"You're not scaring me away," Christine assured him. In fact, she was really considering it. To be able to sing again could actually help in every area of her life. She could see it now... She could regain musical confidence and return to her calling. Her parents had always been so encouraging of her dream. Maybe if she were to practice and get her voice back on track, she could possibly move forward. Christine was beginning to realize that moving forward was the point to all of this. She was the one who had brought up Erik being her therapist, so somewhere deep down, she obviously wanted help. She wanted to heal.. Right? Or.. _Am I ready? Is this even right? I don't deserve-.. Stop, _she suddenly inwardly commanded. _Just stop. It's time to stop moping. I've been unhappy for too long, and this could be my chance! Erik's giving me a real opportunity here. So... _"Yes."

Erik saw her fierce contemplation and tears were evident in her eyes. She'd just said the one word he was wanting to hear, though. _At last.. _"'Yes'?"

"I want you to give me voice lessons. I do. I'm ready."

He nearly hugged her, but instead, a large smile came to his face. "That pleases me greatly."

She laughed at his formal choice of words. It was just so Erik. She could tell he was refraining from letting on just how happy he was, and for that she was grateful. She'd made a huge step forward agreeing to let him give her voice lessons. There was still a long way to go before she could make anymore decisions.. One step at a time. "Hey, and maybe, instead of just hearing a recording of you playing, I could hear you in person. I mean.." She became shy. _He's a friend, nothing more, and we need a piano in order to do this. Going to wherever he lives is the only option. _"It's just, I kind of assumed we'd be doing this voice lesson thing where your piano is, which I'm guessing is where you live.."

Could this get any better? Erik was absolutely elated. Two dreams had just come true. _Unbelievable. This is unbelievable. _"You're exactly right in assuming that, Christine. I was just about to ask if we could practice in my apartment."

Hearing that he lived in an apartment, Christine said, "I hope we don't disturb your neighbors, since you live in an apartment and all. I live in one, too, and my walls are really thin."

He let out a good-natured laugh. Her concern was adorable. "No need to worry. My apartment is nearly soundproof. I pay a considerable amount of money to keep it that way."

"Oh." She smirked. "I guess I should have assumed that, too."

He chuckled and explained, "Let's just say, Nadir is a wealthy man. I honestly think my compositions may hypnotize him. I don't mean to brag. It's just, he pays me very generously."

Christine understood. "Now I really can't wait to hear you."

"I only hope I do not disappoint. Nadir may have a bad ear."

"I doubt that." Thinking about it, she laughed some. "You sound like me." The fact she was finding humor in that was encouraging.

His eyes took on an unintentional intensity. "Well, as I believe I've said before, we have a lot in common."

She blushed and shifted her eyes. She couldn't overlook something his intense stare caused.. It made her heart flutter. _Focus, Christine. _"So, do you want to have a voice lesson tomorrow? We could meet here and I could follow you to your apartment."

Erik inwardly cursed his careless actions. He instantly changed subjects with her. "Yes, that sounds like a great plan."

Giving into an urge, Christine softly asked, "Or, if you wouldn't mind, could I ride with you? I've always wanted to ride in a Corvette."

He grinned excitedly, but not overly so. "Of course you can. You won't be disappointed, I guarantee it."

This was the first good thing that had happened in Christine's life in a very long time. She had to admit that she was incredibly excited, more than she wanted to admit aloud. "Well then, this sounds good. Same time?"

"I will be here."

She nodded, and all was still for a moment as their eyes connected.

Erik knew what he was feeling. He would always know.

Christine blinked, forcing herself to snap out of it. _Look, you just initiated having voice lessons... In. His. Apartment. So you're going to have to look past his feelings and your petty confusion and focus on taking part in voice lessons, and_ only _voice lessons. To back out now due to discomfort would hurt him, so stay comfortable. Loosen up, just like Meg told you to._

"I'll see you tomorrow, Christine." Erik knew it was time to leave her to her thoughts. He only hoped she wasn't thinking 'too much' because that always ended badly.

She blinked again. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." Christine suddenly noticed it was dark. How could she have missed that? ..._Time to go. _

They walked to their respective cars and said their goodbye's before driving away.

Christine forced herself to focus only on driving until she reached her apartment. Then, once she was off the road, she could give into what she wanted, which was to get lost in thought about what had just occurred.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_"Mom?... Dad?..." Christine's eyes were wide as they beheld the most beautiful image. It was her parents. They were standing before her. "Y- you're here? You both are actually here?" She couldn't move._

_Her mother was the first to say something. She nodded. "Yes, we're really here, Christine."_

_"Somewhat, that is," her father chimed in. _

_'Somewhat..' Christine was afraid of that. She knew her parents to be dead, she'd seen it happen. So of course they were only 'somewhat' here._

_"We're here in spirit," her father explained. "We're here to talk to you."_

_Her mom and dad glanced at one another while tears ran down Christine's cheeks. She knew what they wanted to say. They wanted to finally express their anger and disappointment. Surely they were only here to verbalize their hatred towards her._

_"Baby, don't cry," her mother begged soothingly. "It wasn't your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your control."_

_Christine gasped, hardly believing what she'd just heard. "Wh- what?"_

_"Stop thinking we could never forgive you," her father said. "We love you, Christine. It's you who can't forgive yourself."_

_"We want you to move on with your life. You don't have to keep reliving the past." Christine's mother moved forward and touched her daughter's cheek before hugging her close. "Please believe us, honey."_

_Christine's sniffled some while hugging her back never wanting to let go. "But.. the wreck. I caused it. If I hadn't been distracted, I-"_

_Her father cut in. "No, Christine. You have to stop thinking that way. You need to listen to what Erik has told you. What you did that day was completely natural. Everyone controls the radio while they drive. You had no idea a careless driver was going to hit us. It wasn't your fault." He spoke those last words slowly, wanting her to finally understand. _

_Christine felt more tears invade her eyes as she looked at them. She wanted to break down, to let go and cry the real emotional tears she'd been holding in for such a long time. But she couldn't let herself. She needed to listen to them and stay strong. "Y- you forgive me?"_

_Her mother shook her head with a smile. "There was never anything to forgive, honey. Your thinking has been distorted. It's time you know that."_

_"But you have the chance to move forward now." Her father's eyes were bright. "You don't have to be afraid to form relationships and to actually care for someone." He stared at her very seriously. "You can let yourself love."_

_Christine stared back, taken aback by his words. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn't come. Were her parents right? Could she actually allow herself to move on with her life?_

_Without warning, they suddenly began to fade away. Christine gasped and raised her hand to stop them. "Wait, don't go," she cried. "Please don't leave me."_

_"You don't have to be alone anymore, sweetheart. Stop trying to control everything." Her mother smiled warmly at her._

_"We love you very much. Never forget that."_

_Then, they disappeared._

Christine awoke with a start feeling the remnants of tears on her cheeks.

It was a dream but... it had felt so real.

She sat up and brought her knees to her chest while recalling her parents' faces, their smiles, what they'd said. She would never forget a moment of it.

Her parents' words continued to play through her mind making her analyze their meaning. _Was that dream really true, or was it merely a lot of false images? Am I really supposed to forgive myself for what has plagued me for so long? _She did realize that this was the first dream she'd had that consisted of something hopeful and positive about the wreck. So maybe that meant that the spirits of her parents were actually there and what they'd said was meant to be taken literally.

But why now, whereas it hadn't seemed possible that they could forgive her before? The answer rolled off her tongue easily. "Erik." Even her parents had mentioned him. They thought he was important, but why?

They'd associated him with forming relationships. _So, what does that mean?... _Part of Christine was confused, but another part was putting the pieces together.

She hadn't been able to to let herself even consider the prospect of feeling something for Erik. He'd always been a friend and nothing more. But, with the help of her parents she was beginning to see the facts.

She and Erik did have chemistry when they'd acted together. And perhaps they had chemistry outside of acting, too. Deep down, Christine had known it since their first conversation.

He was so thoughtful, and kind. He cared for her and he wanted her to care for herself. He wanted what was best for her, which carried over into wanting to be whatever she needed, whether that be friendship or something more. Erik did love her. It was clear.

Christine felt an odd tightness forming in her chest, as if something needed to be addressed.

Feelings. Feelings she'd never felt before were bursting out of her. It was overwhelming but, at the same time, it made sense.

Every glance, every gaze, every smile, every exchanged word... Their time spent together meant so much to her. It was all becoming clear.

_I care for him. Very much. _The thought finally took full form. Her parents were right. She needed to stop trying to control everything about herself, and that included her heart.

A heavy weight was being lifted as a smile formed on her face. It was the first real smile she'd produced in what seemed like a long time.

Christine rose from her bed feeling like a reawakened person. Her newly discovered feelings were giving her a massive amount of energy and excitement.

_I really can move on now. I can forgive myself and know that it wasn't my fault. _It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted. Without guilt and sadness weighing her down, she was able to think clearly. Her thoughts were centered on her parents, and on Erik. Christine raised her eyes towards the ceiling to silently thank her parents. And then she focused on Erik. She wanted to see him, to thank him for helping her to see reality and to do something very important- reveal her feelings for him.

She couldn't wait to see a smile come to his masked face.

* * *

**This story is probably going to come to an end pretty soon. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. I really hope it doesn't seem too soon for Christine to be realizing her feelings for Erik.**

**Thank you for the reviews! Your words mean so much to me.**

**Please leave a review on your way out :-)**

**-Lauren**


End file.
